DivisionT^}  SR07 
Section  #.73 l-  2*  ^3 

No, . .  .. 


r 


/ 


NIGHT  MARCH  ON  TIIE  ARABIAN  DESERT. 


ILL  USTIIA  LED  LIBRAS,  Y  OF  TEA  VEL 


rRAVELS 


IN  ARABIA 


COMPILED  AMD  AB3ANGLD  BY 


V. 


BAYARD  TAYLO 


T> 

iv 


YEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS 
743  &  745  Broadway 
1881 


COPYRIGHT  1881,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNERS  SON 
( All  Eights  Reserved.) 


CONTENTS. 


FAGS 

CHAPTER  L 

Sketch  oi  Arabia  ;  its  Geographical  Position  and  Ancient  His¬ 
tory  . . . .  * 


CHAPTER  II. 

Earl}  Explorers  of  Arabia  . 


CHAPTER  III. 

Niebuhr’s  Travels  in  Yemen . 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Burckhardt’s  Journey  to  Mecca  and  Medina .  JO 


CHAPTER  V. 

WYllsted’s  Explorations  in  Oman . 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Wellsted’s  Discovery  of  an  Ancient  City  in  Hadramaut 

CHAPTER  VH. 

Bui  ton’s  Pilgv.magc  to  Medina  and  Mecca  . 


IV 


CONTEXTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Pa] grave’s  Travels  in  Central  Arabia  :  from  Palestine  to  the 

Djowf . 8(3 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Palgrave’s  Travels — Residence  in  the  Djowf .  110 

CHAPTER  X. 

Palgrave’s  Travels — Crossing  the  Nefood  . .  132 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Palgrave’s  Travels — Life  in  Ha’yel .  1'IS 

CHAPTER  XH. 

Palgrave’s  Travels— Journey  to  Bereydah  .  188 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Palgrave’s  Travels— Journey  to  Ri’ad,  the  Capital  ot  Nedjed  217 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Palgrave's  Travels — Adventures  in  Ri’ad .  236 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Palgrave’s  Travels— His  Escape  to  the  Eastern  Co  *  t  -  203 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

IVlgrave’s  Travels— Eastern  Arabia .  28o 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

binpvvr.  ck  ou  the  Coast  of  Oman- Con clus*  a\  .  304 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

-  « - 

IX  ox 

Night  March  in  the  Desert . Frontispiece. 

The  Coffee  Hills  of  Yemen . 20 

View  of  El-Medina . 40 

A  Valley  in  Oman . 54 

The  Ruins  of  Nakab  El-IIadjar  ....  62 

View  of  Medina  from  the  West . 72 

Camp  at  Mount  Arafat . «0 

Costume  of  Pilgrims  to  Mecca . 84 

William  Gifford  Palgraye . 87 

An  Arab  Chief . 03 

Captain  Burton  as  a  Pilgrim . 

The  Village  of  El  Suwayrri  tau . >96 

An  Arab  Encampment . 202 

Death  on  the  Desert .  126 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


CHAPTER  L 

SKETCH  OF  ARABIA:  ITS  GEOGRAPHICAL  POSITION,  AND 

ANCIENT  HISTORY. 

HE  Peninsula  of  Arabia,  forming  the  extreme 


X  southwestern  corner  of  Asia,  is  partly  de¬ 
tached,  both  in  a  geographical  and  historical  sense, 
from  the  remainder  of  the  continent.  Although 
parts  of  it  are  mentioned  in  the  oldest  historical  re¬ 
cords,  and  its  shores  were  probably  familiar  to  the 
earliest  navigators,  the  greater  portion  of  its  terri¬ 
tory  has  always  remained  almost  inaccessible  and 
unknown. 

The  desert,  lying  between  Syria  and  the  Euphra¬ 
tes,  is  sometimes  included  by  geographers  as  be¬ 
longing  to  Arabia,  but  a  line  drawn  from  the  Dead 
Sea  to  the  mouth  of  the  Euphrates  (almost  coin¬ 
ciding  with  the  parallel  of  30°  N.)  would  more 
nearly  represent  the  northern  boundary  of  the  pen¬ 
insula.  As  the  most  southern  point  of  the  Arabian 


2 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


coast  reaches  the  latitude  of  12°  40  ,  the  greater 
part  of  the  entire  territory,  of  more  than  one  million 
square  miles,  lies  within  the  tropics.  In  shape  it  is 
an  irregular  rhomboid,  the  longest  diameter,  from 
Suez  to  the  Cape  El-Had,  in  Oman,  being  1,660,  and 
from  the  Euphrates  to  the  Straits  of  Bab-el-Mandeb, 
1,400  miles 

The  entire  coast  region  of  Arabia,  on  the  Red 
Sea,  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  the  Gulfs  of  Oman  and 
Persia,  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  belt  of  fertile  country, 
inhabited  by  a  settled,  semi-civilized  population. 
Back  of  this  belt,  which  varies  in  width  from  a  few 
miles  to  upwards  of  a  hundred,  commences  a  desert 
table-land,  occasionally  intersected  by  mountain 
chains,  and  containing,  in  the  interior,  many  fertile 
valleys  of  considerable  extent,  wdiich  are  inhabited. 
Very  little  has  been  known  of  this  great  interior  re¬ 
gion  until  the  present  century. 

The  ancient  geographers  divided  Arabia  into 
three  parts, — Arabia  Petrcea ,  or  the  Rocky,  com¬ 
prising  the  northwestern  portion,  including  the  Si- 
naitic  peninsula,  between  the  Gulfs  of  Suez  and 
Akaba ;  Arabia  Deserta ,  the  great  central  desert ; 
and  Arabia  Felix ,  the  Happy,  by  which  they  appear 
to  have  designated  the  southwestern  part,  now 
known  as  Yemen.  The  modern  Arabic  geography, 
which  has  been  partly  adopted  on  our  maps,  is 
based,  to  some  extent,  on  the  political  divisions  oi 
the  country.  The  coast  region  along  the  Red  Sea, 
down  to  a  point  nearly  half  way  between  Djidda  and 
the  Straits  of  Bab-el-Mandeb,  and  including  the 
holy  cities  of  Medina  and  Mecca,  is  called  the  Hed- 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  IHSTORI. 


3 


jaz.  Yemen,  the  capital  of  which  is  Sana,  and  the 
chief  sea-ports  Mocha,  Hodeida,  and  Lolieia,  em¬ 
braces  all  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  peninsula. 
The  southern  coast,  although  divided  into  various 
little  chiefdoms,  is  known  under  the  general  name  of 
Hadramaut.  The  kingdom  of  Oman  has  extended 
itself  along  the  eastern  shore,  nearly  to  the  head  of 
the  Persian  Gulf.  The  northern  oases,  the  seat  of 
the  powerful  sect  of  the  Wahabees,  are  called  Ned- 
jed ;  and  the  unknown  southern  interior,  which  is 
believed  to  be  almost  wholly  desert,  inhabited  only 
by  a  few  wandering  Bedouins,  is  known  as  the 
Dahna  or  Akhaf. 

Arabia  has  been  inhabited  by  the  same  race  since 
the  earliest  times,  and  has  changed  less,  in  the 
course  of  thousands  of  years,  than  any  other  country 
of  the  globe,  not  excepting  China.  According  to 
Biblical  genealogy,  the  natives  are  descended  from 
Ham,  through  Cush  ;  but  the  Bedouins  have  always 
claimed  that  they  are  the  posterity  of  Ishmael. 
Some  portions  of  the  country,  such  as  Edom,  or 
Idumaea,  Teman  and  Sheba,  (the  modern  Yemen,) 
are  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament ;  but  neither 
the  Babylonian,  Assyrian,  Persian,  nor  Egyptian 
monarchies  succeeded  in  gaining  possession  of  the 
peninsula.  Alexander  the  Great  made  preparations 
for  a  journey  of  conquest,  which  was  prevented  by 
his  death,  and  Trojan  was  the  only  Roman  emperor 
who  penetrated  into  the  interior. 

The  inhabitants  were  idolaters,  whose  religion 
had  probably  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Phoe¬ 
nicians.  After  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  both 


4 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Jews  and  Christians  found  their  way  thither,  and 
made  proselytes.  There  were  Jews  in  Medina, 
Mecca,  and  Yemen ;  and  even  the  last  Himyaritic 
king  of  the  latter  country  became  a  convert  to  Mo¬ 
saic  faith.  Thus  the  strength  of  the  ancient  re¬ 
ligion  was  already  weakened  when  Mohammed  was 
born  (A.  D.  570)  ;  and  there  are  strong  evidences 
for  the  conjecture  that  the  demoralization  of  both 
Jews  and  Christians,  resulting  from  their  long 
enmity,  was  the  chief  cause  which  prevented  Mo¬ 
hammed  from  adopting  the  belief  of  the  latter.  At 
the  time  of  his  birth,  the  civilization  of  the  domi¬ 
nant  Arab  tribes  was  little  inferior  to  that  of  Europe 
or  the  Eastern  Empire.  There  was  already  an 
Arabic  literature ;  and  the  arts  and  sciences  of  the 
ancient  world  had  found  their  way  even  to  the  oases 
of  Nedjed. 

The  union  of  the  best  and  strongest  elements  in 
the  race,  which  followed  the  establishment  of  the 
new  religion,  gave  to  men  of  Arabian  blood  a  part 
to  play  in  the  history  of  the  world.  For  six  hundred 
years  after  Mohammed’s  death  Islam  and  Christen¬ 
dom  were  nearly  equal  powers,  and  it  is  difficult, 
even  now,  to  decide  which  contributed  the  more  to 
the  arts  from  which  modern  civilization  has  sprung. 
Arabia  flourished,  as  never  before,  under  the  Ca¬ 
liphs  ;  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  the  life  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  was  materially  changed,  or  that  any 
growth,  acquired  during  the  new  importance  of  the 
country,  became  permanent.  Its  commerce  was  re¬ 
stricted  to  the  products  of  its  narrow  belt  of  fertile 
shore  ;  an  arid  desert  separated  it  from  Bagdad  and 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  HISTORY. 


5 


Syria  ;  none  of  the  lines  of  traffic  between  Europe 
and  the  East  Indies 'traversed  its  territory,  and  thus 
it  remained  comparatively  unknown  to  the  Christian 
world. 

After  the  downfall  of  the  Caliphate  the  tribes  re¬ 
lapsed  into  their  former  condition  of  independent 
chiefdoms,  and  the  old  hostilities,  which  had  been 
partially  suppressed  for  some  centuries,  again  re¬ 
vived.  In  the  sixteenth  century  the  Turks  obtained 
possession  of  Nedjez  and  Yemen  ;  the  Portuguese 
held  Muscat  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  the 
Persians  made  some  temporary  conquests,  but  the 
vast  interior  region  easily  maintained  its  independ¬ 
ence.  The  deserts,  which  everywhere  intervene  be¬ 
tween  its  large  and  fertile  valleys  and  the  seacoast, 
are  the  home  of  wandering  Bedouin  tribes,  whose 
only  occupation  is  plunder, — whose  hand  is  against 
every  man’s,  and  every  man’s  hand  against  them. 
Thus  they  serve  as  a  body-guard  even  to  their  own 
enemies. 

The  long  repose  and  seclusion  of  Central  Arabia 
was  first  broken  during  the  present  century.  It  may 
be  well  to  state,  very  briefly,  the  circumstances 
which  led  to  it,  since  they  will  explain  the  great 
difficulty  and  danger  which  all  modern  explorers 
must  encounter.  Early  in  the  last  century,  an  Ara¬ 
bian  named  Abd  el-Waliab,  scandalized  at  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  corruption  of  the  Moslem  faith, 
began  preaching  a  Reformation.  He  advocated  the 
slaughter  or  forcible  conversion'  of  heretics,  the 
most  rigid  forms  of  fasting  and  prayer,  the  disuse  of 
tobacco,  and  various  other  changes  in  the  Oriental 


6 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


habits  of  life.  Having  succeeded  in  converting  the 
chief  of  Nedjed,  Mohammed  Ibu-Savod,  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  Derreyeli,  the  capital,  which  thence¬ 
forth  became  the  rendezvous  for  all  his  followers, 
who  were  named  Wahabees.  They  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  their  authority  became  supreme 
throughout  Central  Arabia,  and  the  successor  of 
Ibu-Savod  was  able  to  call  an  army  of  100,000  men 
into  the  field,  and  defy  the  Ottoman  power. 

In  the  year  1803  the  Wahabees  took  and  plun¬ 
dered  Mecca,  and  slew  great  numbers  of  the  pil¬ 
grims  who  had  gathered  there.  A  second  expedi¬ 
tion  against  Medina  failed,  but  the  annual  caravan 
of  pilgrims  was  robbed  and  dispersed.  Finally,  in 
1809,  the  Sultan  transferred  to  Mohammed  Ali,  of 
Egypt,  the  duty  of  suppressing  this  menacing  re¬ 
ligious  and  political  rebellion.  The  first  campaign 
in  Arabia  was  a  failure  ;  the  second,  under  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  was  successful.  He  overcame  the  Wahabees 
in  1818,  captured  Derreyeh,  and  razed  it  to  the 
ground.  In  1828  they  began  a  second  war  against 
Turkey,  but  were  again  defeated.  Since  then  they 
have  refrained  from  any  further  aggressive  move¬ 
ment,  but  their  hostility  and  bigotry  are  as  active  as 
ever.  The  Wahabee  doctrine  flatters  the  clannish 
and  exclusive  spirit  of  the  race,  and  will  probably 
prevent,  for  a  long  time,  any  easy  communication 
between  Arabia  and  the  rest  of  the  world. 

The  greater  part  of  our  present  knowledge  of 
Arabia  has  been  obtained  since  the  opening  of  this 
century.  The  chief  seaports  and  the  route  from 
Suez  to  Mt.  Sinai  were  known  during  the  Middle 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  HISTORY. 


Ages,  but  all  else  was  little  better  than  a  blank. 
Within  the  last  fifty  or  sixty  years  the  mountains  of 
Edom  have  been  explored,  the  rock-hewn  city  of 
Petra  discovered,  the  holy  cities  of  Medina  and 
Mecca  visited  by  intelligent  Europeans ;  Yemen, 
Hadramaut,  and  Oman  partly  traversed  ;  and,  last 
of  all,  we  have  a  very  clear  and  satisfactory  account 
of  Nedjed  and  the  other  central  regions  of  Arabia, 
by  the  intrepid  English  traveller,  Mr.  Palgrave. 

Thus,  only  the  southern  interior  of  the  peninsula 
remains  to  be  visited.  The  name  given  to  it  by  the 
Arabs,  Roba  d-Khcdy , — “  the  abode  of  emptiness,” 
— no  doubt  describes  its  character.  It  is  an  im¬ 
mense,  undulating,  sandy  waste,  dotted  with  scarce 
and  small  oases,  which  give  water  and  shelter  to  the 
Bedouins,  but  without  any  large  tract  of  habitable 
land,  and  consequently  without  cities,  or  other  than 
the  rudest  forms  of  political  organization. 


CHAPTER  II. 


EARLY  EXPLORERS  OF  ARABIA. 

HEN  the  habit  of  travel  began  to  revive  in 


the  Middle  Ages,  its  character  was  either 


religious  or  commercial,  either  in  the  form  of  pil¬ 
grimages  to  Rome,  Palestine,  (whenever  possible,) 
and  the  shrines  of  popular  saints,  or  of  journeys  to 
the  Levant,  Persia  and  the  Indies,  with  the  object 
of  acquiring  wealth  by  traffic,  the  profits  of  which 
increased  in  the  same  proportion  as  its  hazards. 
From  the  time  of  Trajan’s  expedition  to  Arabia,  (in 
A.  D.  117,)  down  to  the  sixteenth  century,  we  have 
no  report  of  the  history  or  condition  of  the  coun¬ 
try  except  such  as  can  be  drawn  from  the  earlier 
Jewish  and  Christian  traditions  and  the  later  Mo¬ 
hammedan  records. 

The  first  account  of  a  visit  to  Arabia  which  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  worthy  of  credence,  is  that  given  by 
Ludovico  Bartema,  of  Rome.  After  visiting  Egypt, 
he  joined  the  caravan  of  pilgrims  at  Damascus,  in 
1503,  in  the  company  of  a  Mameluke  captain,  him¬ 
self  disguised  as  a  Mameluke  renegade.  Aftei 
several  attacks  from  the  Bedouins  of  the  desert, 


EARLY  EXPLORERS  OF  ARABIA. 


9 


the  caravan  reached  Medina,  which  he  describes  as 
containing  three  hundred  houses.  Bartema  gives 
a  very  correct  description  of  the  tomb  of  the  Pro¬ 
phet,  and  scoffs  at  the  then  prevalent  belief  that  the 
latter’s  coffin  is  suspended  in  the  air,  between  foui 
lodestones. 

He  thus  describes  an  adventure  which  befell  his 
company  the  same  evening  after  their  visit  to  the 
mosque.  “At  almost  three  of  the  night,  ten  or 
twelve  of  the  elders  of  the  sect  of  Mohammed  en¬ 
tered  into  our  caravan,  which  remained  not  past  a 
stone’s  cast  from  the  gate  of  the  city.  These  ran 
hither  and  thither,  crying  like  madmen  with  these 
words  :  ‘  Mohammed,  the  messenger  and  apostle  of 
God,  shall  rise  again !  O  Prophet,  O  God,  Mo¬ 
hammed  shall  rise  again !  Have  mercy  on  us, 
God !’  Our  captain  and  we,  all  raised  with  this  cry, 
took  weapon  with  all  expedition,  suspecting  that 
the  Arabs  were  come  to  rob  our  caravan.  We 
asked  what  was  the  cause  of  that  exclamation,  and 
what  they  cried?  For  they  cried  as  do  the  Christ¬ 
ians  when  suddenly  any  marvellous  thing  chanceth. 
The  elders  answered  :  ‘  Saw  you  not  the  lightning 

which  shone  out  of  the  sepulchre  of  the  Prophet 
Mohammed?’  Our  captain  answered  that  he  saw 
nothing,  and  we  also  being  demanded,  answered  in 
like  manner.  Then  said  one  of  the  old  men  :  ‘  Are 
you  slaves?’  This  to  say  bought  men,  meaning 
thereby,  Mamelukes.  Then  said  our  captain  :  £  Wo 
are  indeed  Mamelukes.  Then  again  the  old  man 
said  :  ‘  You,  my  lords,  cannot  see  heavenly  things, 

as  being  neophiti ,  that  is,  newly  come  to  the  faith. 


10 


TRA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


and  not  yet  confirmed  in  our  religion.*  It  is  there¬ 
fore  to  be  understood  that  none  other  shining  came 
out  of  the  sepulchre  than  a  certain  flame,  which  the 
priests  caused  to  come  out  of  the  open  place  of  the 
tower,  whereby  they  would  have  deceived  us.” 

Leaving  Medina,  the  caravan  travelled  for  three 
days  over  a  “  broad  plain,”  all  covered  with  white 
sand,  in  manner  as  small  as  flour.  Then  they 
passed  a  mountain,  where  they  heard  “  a  certain 
horrible  noise  and  cry,”  and  after  journeying  for 
ten  days  longer,  during  which  time  they  twice 
fought  with  “  fifty  thousand  Arabians,”  they  reached 
Mecca,  of  which  Bartema  says  :  “  The  city  is  very 

fair,  and  well  inhabited,  and  containetli  in  round 
form  six  thousand  houses  as  well  builded  as  ours, 
and  some  that  cost  three  or  four  thousand  pieces  of 
gold  :  it  hath  no  walls.” 

Bartema  describes  the  ceremonies  performed  by 
the  pilgrims,  with  tolerable  correctness.  His  fel¬ 
lowship  with  the  Mamelukes  seems  to  have  been  a 
complete  protection  up  to  the  time  when  the  cara¬ 
van  was  ready  to  set  out  on  its  return  to  Damas¬ 
cus,  and  the  members  of  the  troop  were  ordered  to 
accompany  it,  on  pain  of  death.  Then  he  man¬ 
aged  to  escape  by  persuading  a  Mohammedan  that 
he  understood  the  art  of  casting  cannon,  and 
wished  to  reach  India,  in  order  to  assist  the  na¬ 
tive  monarclis  in  defending  themselves  against  the 
Portuguese.  Beaching  Djidda  in  safety,  Bartema 
sailed  for  Persia,  visiting  Yemen  on  the  way ; 
made  his  way  to  India,  and  after  various  adven- 


EARLY  EXPLORERS  OF  ARABIA. 


11 


fcures,  returned  to  Europe  by  way  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

The  second  European  who  made  his  way  to  the 
holy  cities  was  Joseph  Pitts,  an  Englishman,  who 
was  captured  by  an  Algerine  pirate,  as  a  sailor-boy 
of  sixteen,  and  forced  by  his  master  to  become  a 
Mussulman.  After  some  years,  when  he  had  ac¬ 
quired  the  Arabic  and  Turkish  languages,  he  ac¬ 
companied  his  master  for  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca, 
by  way  of  Cairo,  Suez  and  the  Bed  Sea.  Here  he 
received  his  freedom  ;  but  continued  with  the  pil¬ 
grims  to  Medina,  and  returned  to  Egypt  by  land, 
through  Arabia  Petrsea.  After  fifteen  years  of  ex¬ 
ile,  he  succeeded  in  escaping  to  Italy,  and  thence 
made  his  way  back  to  England. 

Pitts  gives  a  minute  and  generally  correct  ac¬ 
count  of  the  ceremonies  at  Mecca.  He  was  not,  of 
course,  learned  in  Moslem  theology,  and  his  narra¬ 
tive,  like  that  of  all  former  visitors  to  Mecca,  has 
been  superseded  by  the  more  intelligent  description 
of  Burckhardt ;  yet  it  coincides  with  the  latter  in 
all  essential  particulars.  His  description  of  the 
city  and  surrounding  scenery  is  worth  quoting,  from 
the  quaint  simplicity  of  its  style. 

“  First,  as  to  Mecca.  It  is  a  town  situated  in  a 
barren  place,  (about  one  day’s  journey  from  the 
Bed  Sea,)  in  a  valley,  or  rather  in  the  midst  of 
many  little  hills.  It  is  a  place  of  no  force,  wanting 
both  walls  and  gates.  Its  buildings  are,  as  I  said 
before,  very  ordinary,  insomuch  that  it  would  be  a 
place  of  no  tolerable  entertainment,  were  it  not  for 
*Jie  anniversary  resort  of  so  many  thousand  Hagges, 


12 


TEA  VELS  IX  ARABIA. 


or  pilgrims,  on  whose  coming  the  whole  dependence 
of  the  town  (in  a  manner)  is ;  for  many  shops  are 
scarcely  open  all  the  year  besides. 

The  people  here,  I  observed,  are  a  poor  sort  of 
people,  very  thin,  lean  and  swarthy.  The  town  is 
surrounded  for  several  miles  with  many  thousands 
of  little  hills,  which  are  very  near  one  to  the  other. 
I  have  been  on  the  top  of  some  of  them  near  Mec¬ 
ca,  where  I  could  see  some  miles  about,  yet  was 
not  able  to  see  the  farthest  of  the  hills.  They  are 
all  stony-rock  and  blackish,  and  pretty  near  of  a 
bigness,  appearing  at  a  distance  like  cocks  of  hay, 
but  all  pointing  towards  Mecca.  Some  of  them 
are  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  but  all  near  of 
one  height.  The  people  here  have  an  odd  and 
foolish  sort  of  tradition  concerning  them,  viz., 
That  when  Abraham  went  about  building  the 
Beat-Allah,  God  by  his  wonderful  providence  did 
so  order  it,  that  every  mountain  in  the  world 
should  contribute  something  to  the  building  thereof; 
and  accordingly  every  one  did  send  its  proportion, 
though  theie  is  a  mountain  near  Algier  which  is 
called  Corradog,  i.e.,  Black  Mountain,  and  the  rea¬ 
son  of  its  blackness,  they  say,  is  because  it  did  not 
send  any  part  of  itself  towards  building  the  temple 
at  Mecca.  Between  these  hills  is  good  and  plain 
travelling,  though  they  stand  one  to  another. 

“  There  is  upon  the  top  of  one  of  them  a  cave, 
which  they  term  Hira,  i.e.,  Blessing,  into  which, 
they  say,  Mahomet  did  usually  retire  for  his  solita¬ 
ry  de\otions,  meditations  and  fastings;  and  here 
they  believe  he  had  a  great  part  of  the  Alcoran 


EARLY  EXPLORERS  OF  ARABIA. 


13 


brought  him  by  the  Angel  Gabriel.  I  have  been 
in  this  cave,  and  observed  that  it  is  not  at  all  beau¬ 
tified,  at  which  I  admired. 

“  About  half  a  mile  out  of  Mecca  is  a  very  steep 
hill,  and  there  are  stairs  made  to  go  to  the  top  of  it, 
where  is  a  cupola,  under  which  is  a  cloven  rock ; 
into  this,  they  say.  Mahomet  when  very  young,  viz., 
about  four  years  of  age,  was  carried  by  the  Angel 
Gabriel,  who  opened  his  breast  and  took  out  his 
heart,  from  which  he  picked  some  black  blood- 
specks,  which  was  his  original  corruption  ;  then  put 
it  into  its  place  again,  and  afterwards  closed  up 
the  part ;  and  that  during  this  operation  Mahomet 
felt  no  pain.” 

The  next  account  of  the  same  pilgrimage  is  given 
by  Giovanni  Tinati,  an  Italian,  who  deserted  from 
the  French  service  on  the  coast  of  Dalmatia,  and 
became  an  Albanian  soldier.  Making  his  way  to 
Egypt,  after  various  adventures,  he  became  at  last 
a  corporal  in  Mohammed  Ali’s  body-guard,  and 
shared  in  several  campaigns  against  the  Waha- 
bees.  He  did  not,  however,  penetrate  very  far 
inland  from  the  coast,  and  his  visit  to  Mecca  was 
the  result  of  his  desertion  from  the  Egyptian  army 
after  a  defeat.  His  narrative  contains  nothing 
which  has  not  been  more  fully  and  satisfactorily 
stated  by  later  travellers. 

By  this  time,  however,  the  era  of  careful  scienti¬ 
fic  exploration  had  already  commenced,  and  the  de¬ 
scriptions  which  have  since  then  been  furnished  to 
us  are  positive  contributions  to  our  knowledge  of 
Arabia.  With  the  exception  of  the  journey  of  Cars- 


11 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


ten  Niebuhr,  which  embraces  only  the  Sinaitic  Pe¬ 
ninsula  and  Yemen,  the  important  explorations — all 
of  which  are  equally  difficult  and  daring — have 
been  made  since  the  commencement  of  this  century. 


CHAPTEK  III 


niebuhr’s  travels  in  Yemen. 

IN  1760  the  Danish  government  decided  to  send 
an  expedition  to  Arabia  and  India  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  geographical  exploration.  The  command 
was  given  to  Carsten  Niebuhr,  a  native  of  Hannover, 
and  a  civil  engineer.  Four  other  gentlemen — an 
artist,  a  botanist,  a  physician,  and  an  astronomer — 
were  associated  with  him  in  the  undertaking ;  yet, 
by  a  singular  fatality,  all  died  during  the  journey, 
and  Niebuhr  returned  alone,  after  an  absence  of 
nearly  seven  years,  to  publish  the  first  narrative  of 
travel  based  on  scientific  observation. 

The  party  sailed  from  Copenhagen  for  Smyrna  in 
January  1761,  visited  Constantinople,  and  then  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  Egypt,  where  they  remained  nearly  a  year. 
After  a  journey  to  Sinai,  they  finally  succeeded  in 
engaging  passage  on  board  a  vessel  carrying  pil¬ 
grims  from  Suez  to  Djidda,  and  sailed  from  the  for¬ 
mer  port  in  October,  1762.  They  took  the  precau¬ 
tion  of  adopting  the  Oriental  dress,  and  conformed, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  the  customs  of  the  Mussulman 
passengers ;  thus  the  voyage,  although  very  tedious 


1 6 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


and  uncomfortable,  was  not  accompanied  with  any 
other  danger  than  that  from  the  coral  reefs  along 
the  Arabian  shore.  The  vessel  touched  at  Yambo, 
the  port  of  Medina,  and  finally  reached  Djidda, 
after  a  voyage  of  nineteen  days. 

The  travellers  entered  Djidda  under  strong  appre¬ 
hensions  of  ill-treatment  from  the  inhabitants,  but 
were  favorably  disappointed.  The  people,  it  seemed, 
were  already  accustomed  to  the  sight  of  Christian 
merchants  in  their  town,  and  took  no  particular 
notice  of  the  strangers,  who  went  freely  to  the 
coffee-houses  and  markets,  and  felt  themselves  safe 
so  long  as  they  did  not  attempt  to  pass  through  the 
gate  leading  to  Mecca.  The  Turkish  Pasha  of  the 
city  received  them  kindly,  and  they  were  allowed  to 
hire  a  house  for  their  temporary  residence. 

After  waiting  six  weeks  for  the  chance  of  a  pas¬ 
sage  to  Mocha,  they  learned  that  an  Arabian  vessel 
was  about  to  sail  for  Hodeida,  one  of  the  ports  of 
Yemen.  The  craft,  when  they  visited  it,  proved  to 
be  more  like  a  hogshead  than  a  ship ;  it  was  only 
seven  fathoms  long,  by  three  in  breadth.  It  had 
no  deck ;  its  planks  were  extremely  thin,  and 
seemed  to  be  only  nailed  together,  but  not  pitched. 
The  captain  wore  nothing  but  a  linen  cloth  upon 
his  loins,  and  his  sailors,  nine  in  number,  were 
black  slaves  from  Africa  or  Malabar.  Nevertheless, 
they  engaged  passage,  taking  the  entire  vessel  for 
themselves  alone  ;  but  when  they  came  to  embark, 
it  was  filled  with  the  merchandise  of  others.  The 
voyage  proved  to  be  safe  and  pleasant,  and  in  six¬ 
teen  days  they  landed  at  Lolieia,  in  Yemen. 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IN  YEMEN. 


17 


The  governor  of  this  place  was  a  negro,  who  had 
formerly  been  a  slave.  He  received  the  travellers 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  persuaded  them  to  leave 
the  vessel,  and  gave  them  a  residence,  promising- 
camels  for  the  further  journey  by  land.  Although 
they  were  somewhat  annoyed  by  the  great  curiosity 
of  the  inhabitants,  their  residence  was  so  agreeable, 
and  offered  the  naturalists  so  many  facilities  for 
making  collections,  that  they  remained  nearly  four 
months.  “We  had  one  opportunitag”  says  Niebuhr, 
“  of  learning  their  ideas  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  medicine.  Mr.  Cramer  had  given  a  scribe  an 
emetic  which  operated  with  extreme  violence.  The 
Arabs,  being  struck  at  its  wonderful  effects,  re¬ 
solved  all  to  take  the  same  excellent  remedy,  and 
the  reputation  of  our  friend’s  skill  thus  became  very 
high  among  them.  The  Emir  of  the  port  sent  one 
day  for  him  ;  and,  as  he  did  not  go  immediately,  the 
Emir  soon  after  sent  a  saddled  horse  to  our  gate. 
Mr.  Cramer,  supposing  that  this  horse  was  intended 
to  bear  him  to  the  Emir,  was  going  to  mount  him, 
when  he  was  told  that  this  was  the  patient  he  was 
to  cure.  We  luckily  found  another  physician  in  our 
party ;  our  Swedish  servant  had  been  with  the 
hussars  in  his  native  country,  and  had  acquired 
some  knowledge  of  the  diseases  of  horses.  He 
offered  to  cure  the  Emir’s  horse,  and  succeeded. 
The  cure  rendered  him  famous,  and  he  was  after¬ 
wards  sent  for  to  human  patients.” 

Having  satisfied  themselves,  by  this  time,  that 
there  was  no  danger  in  travelling  in  Yemen,  they 
did  not  wait  for  the  departure  of  any  large  caravan, 


18 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


bat,  on  the  20th  of  February,  1763,  set  out  from 
Loheia,  mounted  on  asses,  and  made  their  way 
across  the  Tehama ,  or  low  country,  towards  the 
large  town  of  Beit  el-Takih,  which  stands  near  the 
base  of  the  coffee-bearing  hills.  They  wore  dresses 
somewhat  similar  to  those  of  the  natives, — a  long 
shirt,  reaching  nearly  to  the  feet,  a  girdle,  and  a 
mantle  over  the  shoulders.  The  country  was  bar¬ 
ren,  but  there  were  many  large  villages,  and,  at 
intervals  of  every  few  miles,  they  found  coffee¬ 
houses,  or  rather  huts,  for  the  refreshment  of  tra¬ 
vellers.  After  having  suffered  no  further  incon¬ 
venience  than  from  the  brackish  water,  which  is 
drawn  from  wells  more  than  a  hundred  feet  deep, 
they  reached  Beit  el-Fakih  in  five  days. 

Here  they  were  kindly  received  by  one  of  the 
native  merchants,  who  hired  a  stone  house  for  them. 
The  town  is  seated  upon  a  well-cultivated  plain  ;  it 
is  comparatively  modern,  but  populous,  and  the  tra¬ 
vellers,  now  entirely  accustomed  to  the  Arabian 
mode  of  life,  felt  themselves  safe.  The  Emir  took 
no  particular  notice  of  them, — a  neglect  with  which 
they  were  fully  satisfied,  since  it  left  them  free  to 
range  the  country  in  all  directions.  Niebuhr,  there¬ 
fore,  determined  to  make  the  place  the  temporary 
headquarters  of  the  expedition,  and  to  give  some 
time  to  excursions  in  that  part  of  Yemen.  “  I 
hired  an  ass,”  says  he,  “  and  its  owner  agreed  to 
follow  me  as  my  servant  on  foot.  A  turban,  a  great 
coat  wanting  the  sleeves,  a  shirt,  linen  drawers,  and 
a  pair  of  slippers,  were  all  the  dress  that  I  wore.  It 
being  the  fashion  of  the  country  to  carry  arms  in 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IX  YEMEN. 


19 


travelling,  I  liad  a  sabre  and  two  pistols  hung  by 
my  girdle.  A  piece  of  old  carpet  was  my  saddle, 
and  served  me  likewise  for  a  seat,  a  table,  and  va¬ 
rious  other  purposes.  To  cover  me  at  night,  I  had 
the  linen  cloak  which  the  Arabs  wrap  about  their 
shoulders,  to  shelter  them  from  the  sun  and  rain. 
A  bucket  of  water,  an  article  of  indispensable  ne¬ 
cessity  to  a  traveller  in  these  arid  regions,  hung  by 
my  saddle.” 

After  a  trip  to  the  seaport  of  Hodcida,  Niebuhr 
visited  the  old  town  of  Zebid,  built  on  the  ruins  of 
an  older  city,  which  is  said  to  have  once  been  the 
capital  of  all  the  low  country.  Zebid  is  situated  in 
a  large  and  fertile  valley,  traversed  during  the  rainy 
season  by  a  considerable  stream,  by  which  a  large 
tract  of  country  is  irrigated.  There  are  the  remains 
of  an  aqueduct  built  by  the  Turks,  but  the  modern 
town  does  not  cover  half  the  space  of  the  ancient 
capital.  Zebid,  however,  is  still  distinguished  for 
its  academy,  in  which  the  youth  of  all  that  part  of 
Yemen  study  such  sciences  as  are  now  cultivated 
by  the  Mussulmans. 

Niebuhr’s  next  trip  was  to  the  plantations  of  the 
famous  Mocha  coffee,  whither  the  other  members 
of  the  party  had  already  gone,  during  his  visit  to 
Zebid.  After  riding  about  twenty  miles  eastward 
from  Beit  el-Fakili,  he  reached  the  foot  of  the 
mountains.  He  thus  describes  the  region  :  “  Nei¬ 
ther  asses  nor  mules  can  be  used  here.  The  hills 
are  to  be  climbed  by  steep  and  narrow  paths  ;  yet, 
in  comparison  with  the  parched  plains  of  the  Teha¬ 
ma,  the  scenery  seemed  to  me  charming,  as  it  was 


20 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


covered  with  gardens  and  plantations  of  coffee- 
trees. 

“  Up  to  this  time  I  had  seen  only  one  small  basal¬ 
tic  hill ;  but  here  whole  mountains  were  composed 
chiefly  of  those  columns.  Such  detached  rocks 
formed  grand  objects  in  the  landscape,  especially 
where  cascades  of  water  were  seen  to  rush  from 
their  summits.  The  cascades,  in  such  instances, 
had  the  appearance  of  being  supported  by  rows  of 
artificial  pillars.  These  basalts  are  of  great  utility 
to  the  inhabitants  ;  the  columns,  which  are  easily 
separated,  serve  as  steps  where  the  ascent  is  most 
difficult,  and  as  materials  for  walls  to  support  the 
plantations  of  coffee-trees,  upon  the  steep  declivities 
of  the  mountains. 

“  The  tree  which  affords  the  coffee  is  well  known 
in  Europe  ;  so  that  I  need  not  here  describe  it  par¬ 
ticularly.  The  coffee-trees  wrere  all  in  flower  at 
Bulgosa,  and  exhaled  an  exquisitely  agreeable  per¬ 
fume.  They  are  planted  upon  terraces,  in  the  form 
of  an  amphitheatre.  Most  of  them  are  only  watered 
by  the  rains  that  fall,  but  some,  indeed,  from  large 
reservoirs  upon  the  heights,  in  which  spring-water 
is  collected,  in  order  to  be  sprinkled  upon  the  ter¬ 
races,  where  the  trees  grow  so  thick  together  that 
the  rays  of  the  sun  can  hardly  enter  among  their 
branches.  We  were  told  that  those  trees,  thus  arti¬ 
ficially  watered,  yielded  ripe  fruit  twice  in  the  year ; 
but  the  fruit  becomes  not  fully  ripe  the  second  time, 
and  the  coffee  of  this  crop  is  always  inferior  to  that 
of  the  first. 

“  Stones  being  more  common  in  this  part  of  the 


COFFEE  HILLS  OF  YEMEN. 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IX  YEMEN. 


21 


country  than  in  the  Tehama,  the  houses — as  well  oi 
the  villages  as  those  which  are  scattered  solitarily 
over  the  hills — are  built  of  this  material.  Althou  h 
not  to  be  compared  to  the  houses  of  Europe  for 
commodiousness  and  elegance,  yet  they  have  a  good 
appearance ;  especially  such  of  them  as  stand  upon 
the  heights,  with  amphitheatres  of  beautiful  gardens 
and  trees  around  them. 

“  Even  at  this  village  of  Bulgosa  we  were  greatly 
above  the  level  of  the  plain  from  which  we  had 
ascended ;  yet  we  had  scarcely  climbed  half  the  as¬ 
cent  to  Kusma,  where  the  Emir  of  this  district 
dwells,  upon  the  loftiest  peak  of  the  range  of  moun¬ 
tains.  Enchanting  landscapes  there  meet  the  eye 
on  all  sides. 

“We  passed  the  night  at  Bulgosa.  Several  of 
the  men  of  the  village  came  to  see  us,  and  after 
they  retired  we  had  a  visit  from  our  hostess,  v  ith 
some  young  women  accompanying  her,  who  were  all 
very  desirous  to  see  the  Europeans.  They  seemed 
less  shy  than  the  women  in  the  cities ;  their  faces 
were  unveiled,  and  they  talked  freely  with  us.  As 
the  air  is  fresher  and  cooler  upon  these  hills,  the 
women  have  a  finer  and  fairer  complexion  than  in 
the  plain.  Our  artist  drew  a  portrait  of  a  young 
girl  who  was  going  to  draw  water,  and  was  dressed 
in  a  shirt  of  linen,  chequered  blue  and  white.  The 
top  and  middle  of  the  shirt,  as  well  as  the  lower 
part  of  the  drawers,  were  embroidered  with  needle¬ 
work  of  different  colors.” 

Having  met  with  no  molestation  so  far,  Niebuhr 
determined  to  make  a  longer  excursion  into  the 


22 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


southern  interior  of  Yemen,  among  the  mountains, 
to  the  important  towns  of  Udden  and  Taas.  The 
preparations  were  easily  made.  The  travellers 
hired  asses,  the  owners  accompanying  them  on  foot 
as  guides  and  servants.  As  a  further  disguise  they 
assumed  Arabic  names,  and  their  real  character 
was  so  well  concealed  that  even  the  guides  supposed 
them  to  be  Oriental  Christians, — not  Europeans. 
Entering  the  mountains  by  an  unfrequented  road, 
they  found  a  barren  region  at  first,  but  soon  reached 
valleys  where  coffee  was  cultivated.  The  inhabitants, 
on  account  of  the  cooler  nights,  sleep  in  linen  bags, 
which  they  draw  over  the  head,  and  thus  keep  them¬ 
selves  warm  by  their  own  breathing. 

After  reaching  Udden,  which  Niebuhr  found  to  be 
a  town  of  only  three  hundred  houses,  the  hill- country 
became  more  thickly  settled.  Beside  the  roads, 
which  had  formerly  been  paved  with  stones,  there 
were  frequent  tanks  of  water  for  the  use  of  travellers, 
and,  in  exposed  places,  houses  for  their  shelter  in 
case  of  storms.  The  next  important  place  was 
Djobla,  a  place  of  some  importance  in  the  annals  of 
Yemen,  but  with  no  antiquities,  except  some  ruined 
mosques.  A  further  march  of  two  days  brought  the 
party  to  the  fortified  city  of  Taas,  but  they  did  not 
venture  within  its  walls,  not  having  applied  to  the 
Emir  for  permission.  They  returned  to  their  quar¬ 
ters  at  Beit  el-Fakili,  by  way  of  Haas,  another  large 
town,  at  the  base  of  the  mountains,  having  made 
themselves  acquainted  with  a  large  portion  of  the 
hill-country  of  Arabia  Eelix. 

The  journey  to  Mocha  lasted  three  days,  over  a 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IN  YEMEN  93 

hot,  barren  plain,  with  no  inhabitants,  except  in  the 
wadys,  or  valleys,  which  are  well  watered  during 

the  rainy  season.  Their  arrival  at  Mocha  was  fol- 

•/ 

lowed  by  a  series  of  annoyances,  first  from  the  cus¬ 
tom-house  officials,  and  then  from  the  Emir,  who 
conceived  a  sudden  prejudice  against  the  travellers, 
so  that  they  were  in  danger  of  being  driven  out  of 
the  city.  An  English  merchant,  however,  came  to 
their  assistance,  a  present  of  fifty  ducats  mollified 
the  Emir,  and  at  the  end  of  a  very  disagreeable 
week  they  received  permission  to  stay  in  the  city. 
From  heat  and  privation  they  had  all  become  ill, 
and  in  a  short  time  one  of  the  party  died, 

Niebuhr  now  requested  permission  to  proceed 
to  Sana,  the  capital  of  Yemen.  This  the  Emir  re¬ 
fused,  until  he  could  send  word  to  the  Imam ; 
but,  after  a  delay  of  a  month,  he  allowed  the  party 
to  go  as  far  as  Taas,  which  they  reached  in  four 
days,  and  where  they  were  well  received.  The  re¬ 
freshing  rains  every  evening  purified  the  air,  and 
all  gradually  recovered  their  health,  except  the 
botanist,  wdio  died  before  reaching  Sana. 

Taas  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  fertile  mountain  of 
Sabber,  upon  wrhich,  the  Arabs  say,  grow  all  varie¬ 
ties  of  plants  and  trees  to  be  found  in  the  world. 
Nevertheless  they  did  not  allow  the  travellers  to 
ascend  or  even  approach  it.  The  city  is  surrounded 
with  a  wall,  between  sixteen  and  thirty  feet  high, 
and  flanked  with  towers.  The  patron  saint  of  the 
place  is  a  former  king,  Ismael  Melek,  who  is  buried 
in  a  mosque  bearing  his  name.  No  person  is 
allowed  to  visit  the  tomb  since  the  occurrence  of  a 


24 


TRAVELS  IN  ABABTA. 


miracle,  which  Niebuhr  thus  relates  :  “  Two  beggars 
had  asked  charity  of  the  Emir  of  Taas,  but  only 
one  of  them  had  tasted  of  his  bounty.  Upon  this 
the  other  went  to  the  tomb  of  Ismael  Melek  to  im¬ 
plore  his  aid.  The  saint,  who,  when  alive,  had  been 
very  charitable,  stretched  his  hand  out  of  the  tomb 
and  gave  the  beggar  a  letter  containing  an  order  on 
the  Emir  to  pay  him  a  hundred  crowns.  Upon  ex¬ 
amining  this  order  with  the  greatest  care  it  was 
found  that  Ismael  Melek  had  written  it  with  his 
own  hand  and  sealed  it  with  his  own  seal.  The 
governor  could  not  refuse  payment ;  but  to  avoid 
all  subsequent  trouble  from  such  bills  of  exchange, 
he  had  a  wall  built,  inclosing  the  tomb.” 

The  Emir  of  Taas  so  changed  in  his  behavior  to¬ 
wards  the  travellers,  after  a  few  days,  that  he 
ordered  them  to  return  to  Mocha.  Finding  all 
their  arguments  and  protests  in  vain,  they  were 
about  to  comply,  when  a  messenger  arrived  from 
Mocha,  bringing  the  permission  of  the  Imam  of 
Yemen  for  them  to  continue  their  journey  to  Sana. 
They  set  out  on  the  28th  of  June,  and,  after  cross¬ 
ing  the  mountain  ranges  of  Mliarras  and  Samara, 
by  well  paved  and  graded  roads,  reached,  in  a  week, 
the  town  of  Jerim,  near  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
Himyaritic  city  of  Taphar,  which,  however,  they 
were  unable  to  visit  on  account  of  the  illness  of  Mr. 
Forskal,  the  botanist  of  the  expedition.  This  gentle¬ 
man  died  in  a  few  days ;  and  they  were  obliged 
to  bury  him  by  night,  with  the  greatest  precau¬ 
tion. 

From  Jerim  it  is  a  day’s  journey  to  Damar,  the 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IN  YEMEN 


25 


capital  of  a  province.  The  city,  which  is  seated  in 
the  midst  of  a  fertile  plain,  and  is  without  walls, 
contains  five  thousand  well-built  houses.  It  has  a 
famous  university,  which  is  usually  attended  by  five 
hundred  students.  The  travellers  were  here  very 
much  annoyed  by  the  curiosity  of  the  people,  who 
threw  stones  at  their  windows  in  order  to  force 
them  to  show  themselves.  There  is  a  mine  of  na¬ 
tive  sulphur  near  the  place,  and  a  mountain  where 
cornelians  are  found,  which  are  highly  esteemed 
throughout  the  East. 

Beyond  Damar  the  country  is  hilly,  but  every  vil 
lage  is  surrounded  with  gardens,  orchards,  and  vine¬ 
yards,  which  are  irrigated  from  large  artificial  res¬ 
ervoirs  built  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  On  reaching 
Sana  the  travellers  were  not  allowed  to  enter  the 
city,  but  conducted  to  an  unfurnished  house  without 
the  walls,  where  they  were  ordered  to  wait  two  days 
in  entire  seclusion,  until  they  could  be  received  by 
the  Imam.  During  this  time  they  were  not  allowed 
to  be  visited  by  any  one.  Niebuhr  thus  describes 
their  interview,  which  took  place  on  the  third  day  : 

“  The  hall  of  audience  was  a  spacious  square 
chamber,  having  an  arched  roof.  In  the  middle 
was  a  large  basin,  with  some  jets  d’eau ,  rising  four¬ 
teen  feet  in  height.  Behind  the  basin,  and  near  the 
throne,  were  two  large  benches,  each  a  foot  and  a 
half  high  ;  upon  the  throne  was  a  space  covered 
with  silken  stuff,  on  which,  as  well  as  on  both  sides 
of  it,  lay  large  cushions.  The  Imam  sat  between 
the  cushions,  with  his  legs  crossed  in  the  Eastern 
fashion  ;  his  gown  was  of  a  bright  green  color,  and 


26 


TEA  VELS  L V  ARABIA. 


had  large  sleeves.  Upon  each  side  of  his  breast 
was  a  rich  filleting  of  gold  lace,  and  on  his  head  he 
wore  a  great  "white  turban.  His  sons  sat  on  his 
right  hand,  and  his  brothers  on  the  left.  Opposite 
to"  them,  on  the  highest  of  the  two  benches,  sat  the 
Vizier,  and  our  place  was  on  the  lower  bench. 

“  We  were  first  led  up  to  the  Imam,  and  were 
permitted  to  kiss  both  the  bacK  and  the  palm  oi  Ins 
hand,  as  well  as  the  hem  of  his  robe.  It  is  an  ex¬ 
traordinary  favor  when  the  Mohammedan  princes 
permit  any  person  to  kiss  the  palm  of  the  hand. 
There  was  a  solemn  silence  through  the  whole  hall. 
As  each  of  us  touched  the  Imam  s  hand  a  herald 
still  proclaimed,  ‘  Grod  preserve  the  Imam  !  and  all 
who  were  present  repeated  these  words  after  him. 
I  was  thinking  at  the  time  how  I  should  pay  my 
compliments  in  Arabic,  and  was  not  a  little  disturbed 
by  this  noisy  ceremony. 

“  We  did  not  think  it  proper  to  mention  the  true 
reason  of  our  expedition  through  Arabia ;  but  told 
the  Imam  that,  wishing  to  travel  by  the  shortest 
ways  to  the  Danish  colonies,  in  the  East  Indies,  we 
had  heard  so  much  of  the  plenty  and  security  which 
prevailed  through  his  dominions,  that  we  had  re¬ 
solved  to  see  them  with  our  own  eyes,  so  that  we 
might  describe  them  to  our  countrymen.  The  Imam 
told  us  we  were  welcome  to  his  dominions,  and 
might  stay  as  long  as  we  pleased.  After  our  return 
home  he  sent  to  each  of  us  a  small  purse  con¬ 
taining  ninety-nine  komassis,  two  and  thirty  of  which 
make  a  crown.  This  piece  of  civility  might,  pei- 
haps,  appear  no  compliment  to  a  traveller’s  delicacy. 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IN  YEMEN. 


27 


But,  when  it  is  considered  that  a  stranger,  unac¬ 
quainted  with  the  value  of  the  money  of  the  country, 
obliged  to  pay  every  day  for  his  provisions,  is  in 
danger  of  being  imposed  upon  by  the  money-chan¬ 
gers,  this  care  of  providing  us  with  small  money  will 
appear  to  have  been  sufficiently  obliging.” 

“The  city  of  Sana,”  says  Niebuhr,  “is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  Mount  Nikkum,  on  which  are  still  to 
be  seen  the  ruins  of  a  castle,  which  the  Arabs  sup¬ 
pose  to  have  been  built  by  Shem.  Near  this  moun¬ 
tain  stands  the  citadel ;  a  rivulet  rises  upon  the 
othei  side,  and  near  it  is  the  Bostan  el-Metwokkel, 
a  spacious  garden,  which  was  laid  out  by  the  Imam 
of  that  nttine,  and  has  been  greatly  embellished  by 
the  reigning  Imam.  The  walls  of  the  city,  which 
are  built  of  bricks,  exclude  this  garden,  which  is  in¬ 
closed  within  a  wall  of  its  own.  The  city,  properly 
so  called,  is  not  very  extensive  j  one  may  walk 
around  it  in  an  hour.  There  are  a  number  of 
mosques,  some  of  which  have  been  built  by  Turk¬ 
ish  Pashas.  In  Sana  are  only  twelve  public  baths, 
but  many  noble  palaces,  three  of  the  most  splendid 
of  which  have  been  built  by  the  reigning  Imam. 
The  materials  of  these  palaces  are  burnt  bricks, 
and  sometimes  even  hewn  stones  ;  but  the  houses  of 
the  common  people  are  of  bricks,  which  have  been 
dried  in  the  sun. 

The  suburb  of  Bir  el-Arsab  is  nearly  adjoining 
the  city  on  the  east  side.  The  houses  of  this  village 
are  scattered  through  the  gardens,  along  the  banks 
of  a  small  river.  Fruits  are  very  plenteous  ;  there 
aie  more  than  twenty  different  kinds  of  grapes, 


28 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


which,  as  they  do  not  all  ripen  at  the  same  time, 
continue  to  afford  a  delicious  refreshment  for  several 
months.  The  Arabs  likewise  preserve  grapes  by 
hanging  them  up  in  their  cellars,  and  eat  them 
almost  through  the  whole  year.  Two  leagues  north¬ 
ward  from  Sana  is  a  plain  named  Eodda,  which  is 
overspread  with  gardens,  and  watered  by  a  number 
of  rivulets.  This  place  bears  a  great  resemblance 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Damascus.  But  Sana, 
which  some  ancient  authors  compare  to  Damascus, 
stands  on  a  rising  ground,  with  nothing  like  florid 
vegetation  about  it.  After  long  rains,  indeed,  a 
small  rivulet  runs  through  the  city  ;  but  all  t?he 
ground  is  dry  through  the  rest  of  the  year.  How¬ 
ever,  by  aqueducts  from  Mount  Nikkum,  the  town 
and  castle  of  Sana  are,  at  all  times,  supplied  with 
abundance  of  excellent  fresh  water. 

After  a  stay  of  a  week  the  travellers  obtained  an 
audience  of  leave,  fearing  that  a  longer  delay  might 
subject  them  to  suspicions  and  embarrassments. 
Two  days  afterwards  the  Imam  sent  each  of  them 
a  complete  suit  of  clothes,  with  a  letter  to  the  Emir 
of  Mocha,  ordering  him  to  pay  them  two  hundred 
crowns  as  a  farewell  present.  He  also  furnished 
them  with  camels  for  the  journey.  Instead  of  re¬ 
turning  by  the  same  road  they  determined  to  de¬ 
scend  from  the  hill-country  to  their  old  headquarters 
at  Beit  el-Fakih,  and  thence  cross  the  lowland  to 
Mocha. 

For  two  days  they  travelled  over  high,  rocky 
mountains,  bv  the  worst  roads  they  found  in  Yemen. 
The  country  was  poor  and  thinly  inhabited,  and  the 


NIEBUHR'S  TRAVELS  IN  YEMEN. 


29 


declivities  only  began  to  be  clothed  with  trees,  and 
terraced  into  coffee  plantations  as  they  approached 
the  plains.  The  poorer  regions  are  not  considered 
entirely  safe  by  the  Arabs,  as  the  people  frequently 
plunder  defenceless  travellers  ;  but  the  party  passed 
safely  through  this  region,  and  reached  Beit  el-Fa- 
kih  after  a  week’s  iournev  from  Sana. 

Niebuhr  and  his  companions  reached  Mocha  early 
in  August,  and,  towards  the  end  of  that  month 
sailed  in  an  English  vessel  for  Bombay,  after  a  stay 
of  ten  months  in  Yemen.  The  artist  of  the  expedi¬ 
tion,  and  the  Swedish  servant,  died  on  the  Indian 
Ocean,  and  the  physician  in  India,  a  few  months 
afterwards,  leaving  Niebuhr  the  sole  survivor  of  the 
six  persons  who  left  Copenhagen  three  years  before. 
After  having  sent  home  the  journals  and  collections 
of  the  expedition  he  continued  his  travels  through 
the  Persian  Gulf,  Bagdad,  Armenia,  and  Asia  Minor, 
finally  reaching  Denmark  in  1767.  The  era  of  in¬ 
telligent,  scientific  exploration,  which  is  now  rapidly 
opening  all  parts  of  the  world  to  our  knowledge, 
may  be  said  to  have  been  inaugurated  by  his 
travels. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


BURCKHARDTS  JOURNEY  TO  MECCA  AND  MEDINA. 

BTJRCKHARDT,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
the  first  careful  and  complete  description  of 
the  holy  cities  of  Arabia,  was  a  native  of  Lau¬ 
sanne,  in  Switzerland.  After  having  been  educated 
in  Germany,  he  went  to  London  with  the  intention 
of  entering  the  English  military  service,  but  was 
persuaded  by  Sir  Joseph  Banks  to  apply  to  the 
African  Association  for  an  appointment  to  explore 
the  Sahara,  and  the  then  unknown  negro  kingdoms 
of  Central  Africa.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and 
after  some  preparation  he  went  to  Aleppo,  in  Sy¬ 
ria,  where  he  remained  for  a  year  or  two,  engaged 
in  studying  Arabic  and  familiarizing  himself  with 
Oriental  habits  of  life. 

His  first  journeys  in  Syria  and  Palestine,-  which 
were  only  meant  as  preparations  for  the  African 
exploration,  led  to  the  most  important  results.  He 
was  the  first  to  visit  the  country  of  Hauran — the 
Bashan  of  Scripture — lying  southeast  of  Damas¬ 
cus.  After  this  he  passed  through  Moab,  east  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  and  under  the  pretence  of  making 


BUll GK11ARD  T'S  JO  URSEY  TO  MECCA. 


31 


a  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb  of  Aaron  on  Mount  Hor, 
discovered  the  rock-hewn  palaces  and  temples  of 
Petra,  which  had  been  for  many  centuries  los;  to 
the  world. 

Burckhardt  reached  Cairo  in  safety,  and  after 
vainly  waiting  some  months  for  an  opportunity  of 
joining  a  caravan  to  Fezzan,  determined  to  employ 
his  time  in  making  a  visit  to  Upper  Egypt  and  Nu¬ 
bia.  T  ravelling  alone,  with  a  single  guide,  he  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  reaching  the  frontiers  of  Dongola,  be¬ 
yond  which  it  was  then  impossible  to  proceed.  He 
therefore  returned  to  Assouan,  and  joined  a  small 
caravan,  which  Crossed  the  Nubian  Desert  to  Ethi¬ 
opia,  by  very  nearly  the  same  route  which  Bruce 
had  taken  in  returning  from  Abyssinia.  He  re¬ 
mained  some  time  at  Sliendy,  the  capital  of  Ethio¬ 
pia,  and  then,  after  a  journey  of  three  months 
across  the  country  of  Takka,  which  had  never  be¬ 
fore  been  visited  by  a  European,  reached  the  port 
of  Sowakin,  on  the  Bed  Sea.  Here  he  embarked 
for  Djidda,  in  Arabia,  where  he  arrived  in  July,  1814. 

By  this  time  his  Moslem  character  had  been  so 
completely  acquired  that  he  felt  himself  free  from 
suspicion.  Accordingly  he  decided  to  remain  and 
take  pari  in  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  and  Medina, 
which  was  to  take  place  that  year,  in  November, 
His  funds,  however,  were  nearly  exhausted,  and  the 
Djidda  merchants  refused  to  honor  an  old  letter  of 
credit  upon  Cairo,  which  he  still  carried  with  him.  In 
this  emergency  he  wrote  to  the  Armenian  physician 
of  Mohammed  Ali,  who  was  at  that  time  with 
the  Pasha  at  the  city  of  Tayf,  (or  Tayef,)  about 


82 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA . 


seventy  miles  southeast  of  Mecca.  Mohammed 
Ali  happening  to  hear  of  this  application,  immedi¬ 
ately  sent  a  messenger  with  two  dromedaries,  to 
summon  Burckhardt  to  visit  him.  It  seems  most 
probable  that  the  Pasha  suspected  the  traveller  of 
being  an  English  spy,  and  wished  to  examine  him 
personally.  The  guide  had  orders  to  conduct  the 
latter  to  Tayf  by  a  circuitous  route,  instead  of  by 

the  direct  road  through  Mecca. 

Burckhardt  set  out  without  the  least  hesitation, 
taking  care  to  exhibit  no  suspicion  ol  the  Pasha  s 
object,  and  no  desire  to  see  the  iioly  city.  But  t.ie 
guide  himself  proposed  that  they  should  pass 
through  Mecca  in  order  to  save  travel,  the  journey 
was  hurried,  however,  and  only  a  rapid  observation 
was  possible.  Pushing  eastward,  they  reacned,  on 
the  third  night,  the  Mountain  of  Kora,  which 
divides  the  territory  of  Mecca  from  that  of  Tayf. 
Burckhardt  was  astonished  at  the  change  in  the 
scenery,  produced  by  the  greater  elevation  of  the 
interior  of  Arabia  above  the  sea.  His  desciiption 
is  a  striking  contrast  to  that  of  the  scenery  about 
Mecca. 

“  This,”  he  says,  “  is  the  most  beautiful  spot  in 
the  Hedjaz,  and  more  picturesque  and  delightful 
than  anything  I  had  seen  since  my  departure  from 
Lebanon,  in  Syria.  The  top  of  Djebel  Kora  is 
Hat,  but  large  masses  of  granite  lie  scattered  over 
it,  the  surface  of  which,  like  that  of  the  granite 
rocks  near  the  second  cataract  of  the  Kile,  is 
blackened  by  the  sun.  Several  small  rivulets  no 
scend  from  this  pea;  an  i  irrigat ;  the  p.ain,  which 


B  U R  CKI1A  RD  T '  S  JO  UE  N  EY  TO  MECCA. 


33 


is  covered  with  verdant  fields  and  Large  shady  trees 
beside  the  granite  rocks.  To  those  who  have  only 
known  the  dreary  and  scorching  sands  of  the  lower 
country  of  the  Hedjaz,  this  scene  is  as  surprising 
as  the  keen  air  wliich  blows  here  is  refreshing. 
Many  of  the  fruit-trees  of  Europe  are  found  here  : 
figs,  apricots,  peaches,  apples,  the  Egyptian  syca¬ 
more,  almonds,  pomegranates ;  but  particularly  vines, 
the  produce  of  which  is  of  the  best  quality.  After 
having  passed  through  this  delightful  district  for 
about  half  an  hour,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising 
■when  every  leaf  and  blade  of  grass  was  covered 
with  a  balmy  dew,  and  every  tree  and  shrub  dif¬ 
fused  a  fragrance  as  delicious  to  the  smell  as  was 
the  landscape  to  the  eye,  I  halted  near  the  largest 
of  the  rivulets,  which,  although  not  more  than  two 
paces  across,  nourishes  upon  its  banks  a  green  alp¬ 
ine  turf,  such  as  the  mighty  Nile,  with  all  its  luxuri¬ 
ance,  can  never  produce  in  Egypt.” 

Burckhardt  had  an  interview  with  Mohammed 
Ali  on  the  evening  of  his  arrival  in  Tayf.  His  sus¬ 
picions  were  confirmed:  the  Kadi  (Judge)  of  Mec¬ 
ca  and  two  well-informed  teachers  of  the  Moslem 
faith  were  present,  and  although  the  Pasha  pro¬ 
fessed  to  accept  Burckhardt’s  protestations  of  his 
Moslem  character,  it  was  very  evident  to  the  latter 
that  he  was  cunningly  tested  by  the  teachers.  Ne¬ 
vertheless,  when  the  interview  was  over,  they  pro¬ 
nounced  him  to  be  not  only  a  genuine  Moslem,  but 
one  of  unusual  learning  and  piety.  The  Pasha 
was  forced  to  submit  to  this  decision,  but  he  was 
evidently  not  entirely  convinced,  for  he  gave  orders 


34 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


that  Burckhardt  should  be  the  guest^  of  his  physi- 
ci;iii,  in  order  that  his  speech  and  actions  might  be 
more  closely  observed.  Burckhardt  took  a  thor¬ 
oughly  Oriental  way  to  release  himself  from  this 
surveillance.  He  gave  the  physician  so  much  trou¬ 
ble  that  the  latter  was  very  glad  at  the  end  of  ten 
days,  to  procure  from  the  Pasha  permission  for 
him  to  return  to  Mecca,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  linn. 
Burckhardt  thereupon  travelled  to  the  holy  city  in 
company  with  the  Kadi  himself ! 

At  the  valley  of  Mohram,  nearly  a  day’s  journey 
from  Mecca,  Burckhardt  changed  his  garb  for  the 
ihrcim ,  or  costume  worn  by  the .  pilgrims  during 
their  devotional  services.  It  consists  of  two  pieces 
of  either  linen,  cotton  or  woolen  cloth:  one  is 
wrapped  around  the  loins,  while  the  other  is 
thrown  over  the  shoulder  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
leave  the  right  arm  entirely  bare.  On  reacmng 
Mecca,  he  obeyed  the  Moslem  injunction  of  first 
visiting  the  great  mosque  and  performing  all  the 
requisite  ceremonies  before  transacting  any  woildly 
business.  When  this  had  been  accomplished  he 
made  a  trip  to  Djidda  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
supplies,  which  were  necessary  for  the  later  pil¬ 
grimage  to  Medina,  and  then  established  himself 
comfortably  in  an  unfrequented  part  of  Mecca,  to 
await  the  arrival  of  the  caravan  of  pilgrims  from 
Damascus. 

Burckhardt  describes  the  great  mosque  of  Mecca, 
which  is  called  the  Beit  Allah,  or  “  House  of  God,” 
as  “  a  large  quadrangular  building,  in  the  centre  oJ 
which  stands  the  Kaaba,  an  oblong,  massive  struc- 


BURIKIIARDT'S  JOURNEY  TO  MECCA. 


85 


ture,  eighteen  paces  in  length,  fourteen  in  breadth, 
and  from  thirty-five  to  forty  feet  in  height.  It  is 
constructed  of  gray  Mecca  stone,  in  large  blocks  ot 
different  sizes,  joined  together  in  a  very  rough  man¬ 
ner,  and  with  bad  cement.  At  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  Kaaba,  near  the  door,  is  the  famous  Black 
Stone,  which  forms  part  of  the  sharp  angle  of  the 
building  at  four  or  five  feet  above  the  ground.  It 
is  an  irregular  oval  of  about  seven  inches  in  diame¬ 
ter,  with  an  undulating  surface,  composed  of  about 
a  dozen  smaller  stones  of  different  sizes  and  shapes, 
well  joined  together  with  a  small  quantity  of  ce¬ 
ment,  and  perfectly  smoothed.  It  is  very  difficult  to 
determine  accurately  the  quality  of  this  stone, 
which  has  been  worn  to  its  present  surface  by  the 
millions  of  touches  and  kisses  it  has  received.  It 
appears  to  me  like  a  lava,  containing  several  small 
extraneous  particles.  Its  color  is  now  a  deep  red¬ 
dish  brown,  approaching  to  black.  It  is  surround¬ 
ed  on  all  sides  by  a  border,  composed  of  a  sub¬ 
stance  which  I  took  to  be  a  close  cement  of  pitch 
and  gravel ;  this  border  serves  to  support  its  de¬ 
tached  pieces.  Both  the  border  and  the  stone 
itself  are  encircled  by  a  silver  band.” 

Towards  the  end  of  November  the  caravans  from 
Syria  and  Egypt  arrived,  and  at  the  same  time  Mo¬ 
hammed  Ali,  so  that  the  had j,  or  pilgrimage,  as¬ 
sumed  a  character  of  unusual  pomp  and  parade. 
The  Pasha’s  ihram  consisted  of  two  of  the  finest 
cashmere  shawls ;  the  horses  and  camels  belonging 
to  himself  and  his  large  retinue,  with  those  of  the 
Pasha  of  Damascus  and  other  Moslem  princes, 


36 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


wer©  decorated  with  tlie  most  biilliant  trappings. 
On  arriving,  the  pilgrims  did  not  halt  in  Mecca, 
but  continued  their  march  to  the  Sacred  Mountain 
of  Arafat,  to  the  eastward  of  the  city.  A  camp, 
several  miles  in  extent,  was  formed  upon  the  plain, 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  here  Burckliardt 
joined  the  immense  crowd,  in  order  to  take  his 
share  in  the  ceremonies  of  the  following  day. 

In  the  morning  he  climbed  to  the  top  of  Arafat, 
which  is  an  irregular,  isolated  mass  of  granite,  ris¬ 
ing  only  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  plain. 
Overlooking  thus  the  entire  camp,  he  counted  more 
than  three  thousand  tents,  and  estimated  that  at 
least  twenty-five  thousand  camels  and  seventy  thou¬ 
sand  human  beings  were  there  collected  together. 

“  The  scene,”  lie  says,  u  was  one  of  the  most  extra¬ 
ordinary  which  the  earth  affords.  Every  pilgrim 
issued  from  his  tent  to  walk  over  the  plain  and  take 
a  view  of  the  busy  crowds  assembled  there.  Long 
streets  of  tents,  fitted  up  as  bazaars,  furnished 
them  with  all  kinds  of  provisions.  The  Syrian 
and  Egyptian  cavalry  were  exercised  by  theii 
chiefs  early  in  the  morning,  while  thousands  of  ca¬ 
mels  were  seen  feeding  upon  the  dry  shrubs  of  the 
plain  all  around  the  camp.  The  Syrian  pilgrims 
were  encamped  upon  the  south  and  southwest  sides 
of  the  mountain;  the  Egyptians  upon  the  south¬ 
east.  Mohammed  All  and  Soleyman,  Pasha  of 
Damascus,  as  well  as  several  of  their  followers,  had 
very  handsome  tents ;  but  the  most  magnificent  of 
all  was  that  of  the  wife  of  Mohammed  Ali,  the  mo¬ 
ther  of  Toossoon  Pasha  and  Ibrahim  Pasha,  who 


BURCEIIARDT'S  JOURNEY  TO  MECCA. 


37 


had  lately  arrived  from  Cairo  with  a  truly  royal 
equipage,  five  hundred  camels  being  necessary  to 
transport  her  baggage  from  Djidda  to  Mecca.  Hei 
tent  was  in  fact  an  encampment,  consisting  of  a  do¬ 
zen  teni?s  of  different  sizes,  inhabited  by  her  wom¬ 
en  ;  the  whole  enclosed  by  a  wall  of  linen  cloth, 
eight  hundred  paces  in  circuit,  the  single  entrance 
to  which  was  guarded  by  eunuchs  in  splendid 
dresses.  The  beautiful  embroidery  on  the  exterior 
of  this  linen  palace,  with  the  various  colors  dis¬ 
played  in  every  part  of  it,  constituted  an  object 
which  reminded  me  of  some  descriptions  in  the 
Arabian  tales  of  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights.” 

Burckhardt  also  gives  an  interesting  description 
of  the  sermon  preached  on  Mount  Arafat,  the 
hearing  of  which  is  an  indispensable  part  of  the 
pilgrimage  :  unless  a  person  is  at  least  present  dur¬ 
ing  its  delivery,  he  is  not  entitled  to  the  name  of 
hadji,  or  pilgrim.  The  great  encampment  broke  up 
at  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  Mount  Ara¬ 
fat  was  soon  covered  from  top  to  bottom.  “  The 
two  Pashas,  with  their  whole  cavalry  drawn  up  in 
two  squadrons  behind  them,  took  their  posts  in  the 
rear  of  the  deep  line  of  camels  of  the  pilgrims,  to 
which  those  of  the  people  of  Hedjaz  were  also 
joined  ;  and  here  they  waited  in  solemn  and  re¬ 
spectful  silence  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon. 
Further  removed  from  the  preacher  was  the  Scherif 
of  Mecca,  with  his  small  body  of  soldiers,  distin¬ 
guished  by  several  green  standards  carried  before 
him.  The  two  mahmals ,  or  holy  camels,  which  car¬ 
ry  on  their  backs  the  high  structure  which  serves 


38 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


as  the  banner  of  tlieir  respective  caravans,  made 
way  with  difficulty  through  the  ranks  of  camels 
that  encircled  the  southern  and  eastern  sides  of  the 
hill,  opposite  to  the  preacher,  and  took  their  station 
surrounded  by  their  guards,  directly  under  the  plat¬ 
form  in  front  of  him.  The  preacher,  who  is  usu¬ 
ally  the  Kadi  of  Mecca,  was  mounted  upon  a 
finely  caparisoned  camel  which  had  been  led  up  the 
steps :  it  was  traditionally  said  that  Mohammed 
was  always  seated  when  he  addressed  his  followers, 
a  practice  in  which  he  was  imitated  by  all  the  Ca¬ 
liphs  who  came  to  the  pilgrimage,  and  who  from 
this  place  addressed  their  subjects  in  person.  The 
Turkish  gentleman  of  Constantinople,  however,  un¬ 
used  to  camel-riding,  could  not  keep  his  seat  so 
well  as  the  hardy  Bedouin  prophet,  and  the  camel 
becoming  unruly,  he  was  soon  obliged  to  alight 
from  it.  He  read  his  sermon  from  a  book  in  Ara¬ 
bic,  which  he  held  in  his  hands.  At  intervals  of 
every  four  or  five  minutes  he  paused  and  stretched 
forth  his  arms  to  implore  blessings  from  above, 
while  the  assembled  multitudes  around  and  before 
him  waved  the  skirts  of  their  ihrams  over  their 
heads  and  rent  the  air  with  shouts  of  lebeyk,  Allah , 
huma  lebeyk  ! — ‘  Here  Ave  are  at  Thy  bidding,  oh 
God !’  During  the  Avaving  of  the  ihrams,  the  sides 
of  the  mountain,  thickly  crowded  as  it  was  by  the 
people  in  their  Avliite  garments,  had  the  appearance 
of  a  cataract  of  water ;  Avliiie  the  green  umbrellas, 
with  Avhich  se\’eral  thousand  pilgrims  sitting  on 
their  camels  below  were  provided,  bore  some  re¬ 
semblance  to  a  verdant  plain.,: 


BURCKHARDT8  JOURNEY  TO  MECCA.  39 


Burckhardt  performed  all  the  remaining  ceremo¬ 
nies  required  of  a  pilgrim ;  but  these  have  been 
more  recently  described  and  with  greater  minute¬ 
ness  by  Captain  Burton.  He  remained  in  Mecca 
for  another  month,  unsuspected  and  unmolested, 
and  completed  his  observations  of  a  place  which 
the  Arabs  believed  they  had  safely  sealed  against 
all  Christian  travellers. 

Leaving  Mecca  with  a  small  caravan  of  pilgrims 
on  the  15th  of  January,  1815,  he  reached  Medina 
after  a  journey  of  thirteen  days,  during  which  he 
narrowly  escaped  being  slain  by  the  Bedouins. 

Burckhardt  was  attacked  with  fever  soon  after 
his  arrival  at  Medina,  and  remained  there  three 
months.  The  ceremonies  prescribed  for  the  pil¬ 
grims  who  visit  the  city  are  brief  and  unimportant ; 
but  the  description  ot  the  tomb  of  Mohammed  is 
of  sufficient  interest  to  quote.  “  The  mausoleum/' 
he  says,  “  stands  at  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
principal  mosque,  and  is  protected  from  the  too 
near  approach  of  visitors  by  an  iron  railing,  paint¬ 
ed  green,  about  two  thirds  the  height  of  the  pillars 
of  the  colonnade  which  runs  around  the  interior  of 
the  mosque.  The  railing  is  of  good  workmanship, 
in  imitation  of  filigree,  and  is  interwoven  with 
open- worked  inscriptions  of  yellow  bronze,  sup¬ 
posed  by  the  vulgar  to  be  of  gold,  and  of  so  close  a 
texture  that  no  view  can  be  obtained  of  the  interior 
except  by  several  small  windows  about  six  inches 
square,  which  are  placed  in  the  four  sides  of  the 
railing,  about  five  feet  above  the  ground.  On  the 
south  side,  where  are  the  two  principal  windows, 


40 


TEA  VELS  IN  AEABIA. 


before  which  the  devout  stands  when  praying  the 
railing  is  plated  with  silver,  and  the  common 
inscription— ‘  There  is  no  god  but  God,  the  Evi¬ 
dent  Truth !’— is  wrought  in  silver  letters  around 
the  windows.  The  tomb  itself,  as  well  as  those  of 
Abu  Bekr  and  Omar,  which  stand  close  to  it  is 
concealed  from  the  public  gaze  by  a  curtain  of  rich 
silk  brocade  of  various  colors,  interwoven  with  sil- 
ver  flowers  and  arabesques,  with  inscriptions  in 
characters  of  gold  running  across  the  midst  of  it 
like  that  of  the  covering  of  the  Kaaba.  Behind 
this  curtain,  which,  according  to  the  historian  of  the 
city,  was  formerly  changed  every  six  years,  and  is 
now  renewed  by  the  Porte  whenever  the  old  one  is 
decayed,  or  when  a  new  Sultan  ascends  the  throne 
none  but  the  chief  eunuchs,  the  attendants  of  the 
mosque,  are  permitted  to  enter.  This  holy  sanctu¬ 
ary  once  served,  as  the  temple  of  Delphi  did 
among  the  Greeks,  as  the  public  treasury  of  the 
nation.  Here  the  money,  jewels  and  other  pre¬ 
cious  articles  of  the  people  of  Hedjaz  were  kept  in 
ciests,  or  suspended  on  silken  ropes,  Amon» 
these  was  a  copy  of  the  Koran  in  Cufic  charac- 
ters;  a  brill, ant  star  set  in  diamonds  and  pearls, 
w  noli  was  suspended  directly  over  the  Prophet’s 
tomb;  with  all  sorts  of  vessels  filled  with  jewels, 
eai -lings,  bracelets,  necklaces,  and  other  ornaments 
sent  as  presents  from  all  parts  of  the  empire.  Most 
ol  these  articles  were  carried  away  by  the  Waha- 

bees  when  they  sacked  and  plundered  the  sacred 
cities. 

Burckhardt  reached  Yambo,  (the  port  of  Medi- 


VIEW  OF  EL  MEDINA. 


BURCKIIARDTS  JOURNEY  TO  MECCA. 


41 


Da,)  at  the  end  of  April,  and,  after  running  great 
danger  from  the  plague,  succeeded  in  obtaining 
passage  to  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  whence  he 
slowly  made  his  way  back  to  Cairo.  Here  he  wait¬ 
ed  for  two  years,  vainly  hoping  for  the  departure  of 
a  caravan  for  Central  Africa,  and  meanwhile  assist¬ 
ing  Belzoni  in  his  explorations  at  Thebes.  In  Oc¬ 
tober,  1817,  he  died,  and  the  people  who  knew  him 
only  as  Shekh  Abdallah,  laid  his  body  in  the  Mos¬ 
lem  burymg-ground,  on  the  eastern  side  oi  Cairo. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 


WELISTED’s  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAN. 

HE  latest  and  altogether  the  most  satisfactory 
account  of  the  interior  of  Oman, — the  south¬ 


eastern  portion  of  Arabia,  now  under  the  sw  ay  of  the 
Sultan  of  Muscat,— has  been  given  by  Lieut.  Well- 
sted.  While  in  the  Indian  Navy  he  was  employed 
for  several  years  in  surveying  the  southern  and 
eastern  coasts  of  Arabia.  Having  become  somewhat 
familiar  with  the  language  and  habits  of  the  people, 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  undertaking  a  journey  to 
Lerreyeh,  in  Nedjed,  the  capital  of  the  W aliabees, 
which  no  traveller  had  then  reached.  The  governor 
of  Bombay  gave  him  the  necessary  leave  of  absence, 
and  he  landed  at  Muscat  in  November,  1835. 

The  Sultan,  Savid  Saeed,  received  the  young 
Englishman  with  great  kindness,  promised  him  all 
possible  aid  in  his  undertaking,  and  even  arranged 
for  him  the  route  to  be  travelled.  He  was  to  sail 
first  to  the  port  of  Sur,  south  of  Muscat,  thence 
penetrate  to  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Beni-Abu- 
Ali  tribe,  and  make  his  way  northward  to  the  Jcbel 
Aklidar,  or  Green  Mountains,  which  w'ere  described 


WELLSTED' S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAR. 


43 


to  him  as  lofty,  fruitful,  and  populous.  Having 
thus  visited  the  most  interesting  portions  of  Oman, 
he  was  then  to  be  at  liberty,  if  the  way  was  open, 
to  take  the  northern  route  through  the  Desert  to¬ 
wards  Nedjed.  The  Sultan  presented  him  with  a 
horse  and  sword,  together  with  letters  to  the  gov¬ 
ernors  of  the  districts  through  which  he  should 
pass. 

At  Sur,  which  is  a  small,  insignificant  village,  with 
a  good  harbor,  the  mountains  of  the  interior  ap¬ 
proach  the  sea,  but  they  are  here  divided  by  a  val¬ 
ley  which  furnishes  easy  access  to  the  country  be¬ 
yond  them.  After  a  journey  of  four  days  Wellsted 
reached  the  tents  of  the  tribe  of  Ben-Abu-Ali,  at  a 
point  to  which  the  English  troops  had  penetrated  in 
1821,  to  punish  the  tribe  for  acts  of  piracy.  Al¬ 
though  no  Englishman  had  visited  them  since  that 
time,  they  received  him  with  every  demonstration 
of  friendship.  Sheep  were  killed,  a  feast  prepared, 
a  guard  of  honor  stationed  around  the  tent,  and,  in 
the  evening,  all  the  men  of  the  encampment,  250  in 
number,  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting 
their  war  dance.  Wellsted  thus  describes  the  scene  : 
“  They  formed  a  circle  within  which  five  of  their 
number  entered.  After  walking  leisurely  around 
for  some  time,  each  challenged  one  of  the  specta¬ 
tors  by  striking  him  gently  with  the  flat  of  his 
sword.  His  adversary  immediately  leaped  forth 
and  a  feigned  combat  ensued.  They  have  but  two 
cuts,  one  directly  downward,  at  the  head,  the  other 
horizontally,  across  the  legs.  They  parry  neither 
with  the  sword  nor  shield,  but  avoid  the  blows  by 


44 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


leaping  or  bounding  backward.  The  blade  of  their 
sword  is  three  feet  in  length,  thin,  double-edged, 
and  as  sharp  as  a  razor.  As  they  carry  it  upright 
before  them,  by  a  peculiar  motion  of  the  wrist  they 
cause  it  to  vibrate  in  a  very  remarkable  manner, 
which  has  a  singularly  striking  effect  when  they  are 
assembled  in  any  considerable  number.  It  was 
part  of  the  entertainment  to  lire  off  their  match¬ 
locks  under  the  legs  of  some  one  of  the  spectators, 
who  appeared  too  intent  on  watching  the  game  to 
observe  their  approach,  and  any  signs  of  alarm 
which  incautiously  escaped  the  indiviual,  added 
greatly  to  their  mirth.” 

In  the  evening  a  party  of  the  Geneba  Bedouins 
came  in  from  the  desert,  accompanied  by  one  of 
their  chiefs.  The  latter  readily  consented  that 
Wellsted  should  accompany  him  on  a  short  journey 
into  his  country,  and  they  set  out  the  following 
morning.  It  was  December,  and  the  morning  air 
was  cold  and  pure ;  the  party  swept  rapidly  across 
the  broad,  barren  plains,  the  low  hills,  dotted  with 
acacia  trees,  and  the  stony  channels,  which  carried 
the  floods  of  the  rainy  season  to  the  sea.  After  a 
day’s  journey  of  forty-four  miles  they  encamped 
near  some  brackish  wells.  “  You  wished,”  said  the 
chief  to  Wellsted,  “  to  see  the  country  of  the  Be¬ 
douins  ;  this,”  he  continued,  striking  his  spear  into 
the  firm  sand,  “this  is  the  country  of  the  Bedouins.” 
Neither  he  nor  his  companions  wore  any  clothing 
except  a  single  cloth  around  the  loins.  Their  hair, 
which  is  permitted  to  grow  until  it  reaches  the  waist, 
and  is  usually  well  plastered  with  grease,  is  the 


WELLS  TED'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAN. 


45 


only  covering  which  protects  their  heads  from  the 
sun. 

The  second  day’s  journey  brought  Wellsted  to  a 
small  encampment,  where  the  chief’s  wives  were 
abiding.  They  conversed  with  him,  unveiled,  gave 
him  coffee,  milk,  and  dates,  and  treated  him  with 
all  the  hospitality  which  their  scanty  means  allowed. 
The  Beni  Geneba  tribe  numbers  about  3, 500. fight¬ 
ing  men  ;  they  are  spread  over  a  large  extent  of 
Southern  Arabia,  and  are  divided  into  two  distinct 
classes — those  who  live  by  fishing,  and  those  who 
follow  pastoral  pursuits,  A  race  of  fishermen,  how¬ 
ever,  is  found  on  all  parts  of  the  Arabian  coast.  In 
some  districts  they  are  considered  a  separate  and 
degraded  people,  with  whom  the  genuine  Bedouins 
will  neither  eat,  associate,  nor  intermarry ;  but 
among  the  Beni  Geneba  this  distinction  does  not 
exist. 

Wellsted  might  have  penetrated  much  further  to 
the  westward  under  the  protection  of  this  tribe,  and 
was  tempted  to  do  so  ;  but  it  seemed  more  impor¬ 
tant  to  move  northward,  and  get  upon  some  one  of 
the  caravan  tracks  leading  into  Central  Arabia.  He 
therefore  returned  to  the  camp  of  the  Beni- Abu- Ali, 
where  the  friendly  people  would  hardly  sutler  him 
to  depart,  promising  to  build  a  house  for  him  if  he 
would  remain  a  month  with  them.  For  two  days 
he  travelled  northwards,  over  an  undulating  region 
of  sand,  sometimes  dotted  with  stunted  acacias,  and 
reached  a  district  called  Bediah,  consisting  of  seven 
villages,  each  seated  in  its  little  oasis  of  date  palms. 
One  striking  feature  of  these  towns  is  their  low 


46 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


situation.  They  are  erected  in  artificial  hollows 
which  have  been  excavated  to  the  depth  of  six  or 
eight  feet.  Water  is  then  conveyed  to  them  in  sub- 
terranean  channels,  from  wells  in  the  neighboring 
hills,  and  the  soil  is  so  fertile  that  irrigation  suffices 
to  produce  the  richest  harvest  of  fruit  and  vege¬ 
tables.  A  single  step  carries  the  traveller  from  the 
glare  and  sand  of  the  desert  into  a  spot  teeming 
with  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  embowered 
by  lofty  trees,  whose  foliage  keeps  out  the  sun. 
“  Some  idea,”  says  Wellsted,  “  may  be  formed  of 
the  density  of  this  shade  by  the  effect  it  produces 
in  lessening  the  terrestrial  radiation.  A  Fahrenheit 
thermometer,  which,  within  the  house  stood  at  55°, 
six  inches  from  the  ground  fell  to  45°.  From  this 
cause,  and  the  abundance  of  water,  they  are  always 
saturated  with  damp,  and  even  in  the  heat  of  the 
day  possess  a  clammy  coldness.” 

On  approaching  Ibrah,  the  next  large  town  to  the 
north,  the  country  became  hilly,  and  the  valleys  be¬ 
tween  the  abrupt  limestone  ranges  increased  in  fer¬ 
tility.  Wellsted  thus  describes  the  place :  “  There 
are  some  handsome  houses  in  Ibrah  ;  but  the  style 
of  building  is  quite  peculiar  to  this  part  of  Arabia. 
To  avoid  the  damp  and  catch  an  occasional  beam 
of  the  sun  above  the  trees,  they  are  usually  very 
lofty.  A  parapet  surrounding  the  upper  part  is 
turreted,  and  on  some  of  the  largest  houses  guns 
are  mounted.  The  windows  and  duors  have  the 
Saracenic  arch,  and  every  part  of  the  building  is 
profusely  decorated  with  ornaments  of  stucco  in  bas 
relief,  some  in  very  good  taste.  The  doors  are 


WELLSTED'S  EXPECTATIONS  IN  OMAN.  47 

also  cased  with  brass,  and  have  rings  and  other 
massive  ornaments  of  the  same  metal. 

“  Ibrali  is  justly  renowned  for  the  beauty  and 
fairness  of  its  females.  Those  we  met  on  the  streets 
evinced  but  little  shyness,  and  on  my  return  to  the 
tent  I  found  it  filled  with  them.  They  were  in  high 
glee  at  all  they  saw  ;  every  box  I  had  was  turned 
over  for  their  inspection,  and  whenever  I  attempted 
to  remonstrate  against  their  proceedings  they 
stopped  my  mouth  with  their  hands.  With  such 
damsels  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  laugh  and 
look  on.” 

Travelling  two  days  further  to  the  northward, 
Wellsted  reached  the  town  of  Semmed,  where  he 
found  a  fine  stream  of  running  water.  The  Shekh’s 
house  was  a  large  fort,  the  rooms  of  which  were 
spacious  and  lofty,  but  destitute  of  furniture.  Sus¬ 
pended  on  pegs,  protruding  from  the  walls,  were 
the  saddles,  cloths,  and  harness  of  the  horses  and 
camels.  The  ceilings  were  painted  in  various  de¬ 
vices,  but  the  floors  were  of  mud,  and  only  partially 
covered  with  mats.  Lamps  formed  of  shells,  a  spe¬ 
cies  of  murex,  were  suspended  by  lines  from  the 
ceiling.  On  returning  to  the  tent,  after  this  visit, 
the  traveller  found,  as  usual,  a  great  crowd  collected 
there,  but  kept  in  order  by  a  boy  about  twelve  years 
of  age.  He  had  taken  possession  of  the  tent,  as  its 
guardian,  and  allowed  none  to  enter  without  his 
permission.  He  carried  a  sword  longer  than  him¬ 
self,  and  also  a  stick,  with  which  he  occasionally  laid 
about  him.  It  is  a  part  of  the  Arab  system  of  edu¬ 
cation  to  cease  treating  boys  as  children  at  a  very 


18 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


early  age,  and  they  acquire,  therefore,  the  gravity 
and  demeanor  of  men. 

Beyond  this  place  Wells  ted  was  accompanied  by 
a  guard  of  seventy  armed  men,  for  the  country  was 
considered  insecure.  For  two  days  and  a  half  he 
passed  many  small  villages,  separated  by  desert 
tracts,  and  then  reached  the  town  of  Minna,  near 
the  foot  of  the  Green  Mountains.  “  Minna,”  he 
s^ys,  “  differs  from  the  other  towns  in  having  its 
cultivation  in  the  open  fields.  As  we  crossed  these, 
with  lofty  almond,  citron,  and  orange  trees  yielding 
a  delicious  fragrance  on  either  hand,  exclamations 
of  astonishment  and  admiration  burst  from  us.  ‘  Is 
this  Arabia  ?’  we  said ;  ‘  this  the  country  we  have 
looked  on  heretofore  as  a  desert  ?’  Verdant  fields 
of  grain  and  sugar-cane  stretching  along  for  miles 
are  before  us  ;  streams  of  water,  flowing  in  all  direc¬ 
tions,  intersect  our  path  ;  and  the  happy  and  con¬ 
tented  appearance  of  the  peasants  agreeably  helps  to 
fill  up  the  smiling  picture.  The  atmosphere  was 
delightfully  clear  and  pure  ;  and,  as  we  trotted  joy¬ 
ously  along,  giving  or  returning  the  salutations  of 
peace  or  welcome,  I  could  almost  fancy  that  we  had 
at  last  reached  that  £  Araby  the  Blessed,’  which  I 
had  been  accustomed  to  regard  as  existing  only  in 
the  fictions  of  our  poets. 

“  Minna  is  an  old  town,  said  to  have  been  erected 
at  the  period  of  Narhirvan’s  invasion  ;  but  it  bears, 
in  common  with  the  other  towns,  no  indications  of 
antiquity  ;  its  houses  are  lofty,  but  do  not  differ 
from  those  of  Ibrah  or  Semmed.  There  are  two 
square  towers,  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet 


WELLSTED'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAN.  49 


in  height,  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  town  ;  at 
their  bases  the  breadth  of  the  wall  is  not  more  than 
two  feet,  and  neither  side  exceeds  in  length  eight 
yards.  It  is  therefore  astonishing,  considering  the 
rudeness  of  the  materials,  (they  have  nothing  but  un¬ 
hewn  stones  and  a  coarse  but  apparently  strong 
cement,)  that,  with  proportions  so  meagre,  they 
should  have  been  able  to  carry  them  to  their  pre¬ 
sent  elevation.  The  guards,  who  are  constantly  on 
the  lookout,  ascend  by  means  of  a  rude  ladder, 
formed  by  placing  bars  of  wood  in  a  diagonal  direc¬ 
tion  in  one  of  the  side  angles  within  the  interior  of 
the  building.” 

The  important  town  of  Neswah,  at  the  western 
base  of  the  Jebel  Akdar,  or  Green  Mountains,  is  a 
short  day’s  journey  from  Minna.  On  arriving  there 
Wellsted  was  received  in  a  friendly  manner  by  the 
governor,  and  lodged,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving 
Muscat,  in  a  substantial  house.  He  was  allowed  to 
visit  the  fortress,  which,  in  that  region,  is  considered 
impregnable.  He  was  admitted  by  an  iron  door  of 
great  strength,  and,  ascending  through  a  vaulted 
passage,  passed  through  six  others  equally  massive 
before  reaching  the  summit.  The  form  of  the  fort 
is  circular,  its  diameter  being  nearly  one  hundred 
yards,  and  to  the  height  of  ninety  feet  it  has  been 
filled  up  by  a  solid  mass  of  earth  and  stones.  Seven 
or  eight  wells  have  been  bored  through  this,  from 
several  of  which  they  obtain  a  plentiful  supply  of 
water,  while  those  which  are  dry  serve  as  magazines 
for  their  shot  and  ammunition.  A  wall  forty  feet 
high  surrounds  the  summit,  making  the  whole 


50 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


height  of  the  fortress  one  hundred  and  fifty  feeh 
It  is  a  work  of  extraordinary  labor,  and  from  its 
appearance  probably  of  considerable  antiquity  ;  but 
no  certain  intelligence  could  be  obtained  on  this 
point. 

On  Christmas  day,  Wellsted  left  Neswah  on  an 
excursion  to  the  celebrated  Green  Mountains.  The 
Shekh  of  Tanuf,  the  first  village  where  he  encamped, 
endeavored  in  every  possible  way  to  dissuade  him 
from  undertaking  the  journey ;  but  his  resolute 
manner  and  a  few  gifts  overcame  the  difficulty. 
Mounted  on  strong  asses,  the  party  commenced 
ascending  a  precipitous  ridge  by  a  track  so  narrow 
that  they  seemed  at  times  to  be  suspended  over 
precipices  of  unknown  depth.  On  the  second  day 
they  reached  the  village  of  Seyk.  “  By  means  of 
steps/’  he  says,  “  we  descended  the  steep  side  of  a 
narrow  glen,  about  four  hundred  feet  in  depth,  pass¬ 
ing  in  our  progress  several  houses  perched  on  crags 
or  other  acclivities,  their  walls  built  up  in  some 
places  so  as  to  appear  but  a  continuation  of  the 
precipice.  These  small,  snug,  compact-looking 
dwellings  have  been  erected  by  the  natives  one 
above  the  other,  so  that  their  appearance  from  the 
bottom  of  the  glen,  hanging  as  it  were  in  mid-air, 
affords  to  the  spectator  a  most  novel  and  interesting 
picture.  Here  w7e  found,  amid  a  great  variety  of 
fruits  and  trees,  pomegranates,  citrons,  almonds, 
nutmegs,  and  walnuts,  with  coffee-bushes  and  vines. 
In  the  summer,  these  together  must  yield  a  delicious 
fragrance ;  but  it  was  now  winter,  and  they  were 
leafless.  Water  flows  in  many  places  from  the  upper 


WE rLS TED’S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAN. 


p&rfc  of  the  hills,  and  is  received  at  the  lower  in 
small  reservoirs,  whence  it  is  distributed  all  over  the 
face  of  the  country.  From  the  narrowness  of  this 
glen,  and  the  steepness  of  its  sides,  only  the  lower 
part  of  it  receives  the  warmth  of  the  sun’s  rays  for 
a  short  period  of  the  day ;  and  even  at  the  time  of 
our  arrival  we  found  it  so  chilly,  that,  after  a  short 
halt,  we  were  very  happy  to  continue  our  journey.” 

They  halted  for  the  night  at  a  village  called  Shi- 
razi,  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains,  the  highest 
peaks  of  which  here  reach  a  height  of  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  inhabitants  belong  to  a  tribe 
called  the  Beni  Byam,  who  are  considered  infidels 
by  the  people  of  Neswah  because  they  cultivate  the 
grape  for  the  purpose  of  making  wine.  The  next 
day  the  Arabs  who  formed  Wellsted’s  escort  left 
him,  and  he  had  considerable  difficultv  in  returning 
to  Neswah  by  another  road.  From  this  point  he 
had  intended  starting  for  Central  Arabia,  but  the 
funds  which  he  expected  did  not  arrive  from  Mus¬ 
cat,  the  British  Agent  there  having  refused  to  make 
the  necessary  advances.  Wells  ted  thereupon  ap¬ 
plied  directly  to  the  Sultan,  Sayd  Saeed,  for  a  loan, 
and,  while  waiting  an  answer,  made  an  excursion 
into  the  desert,  fifty  miles  to  the  westward  of  Nes¬ 
wah.  With  a  view  to  familiarize  himself  with  the 
manners  and  domestic  life  of  the  Bedouins,  he 
mixed  with  them  during  this  trip,  living  and  sleep¬ 
ing  in  their  huts  and  tents.  On  all  occasions  he 
was  treated  with  kindness,  and  often  with  a  degree 
of  hospitality  above  rather  than  below  the  means 
of  those  who  gave  it. 


52 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Although  the  Sultan  of  Muscat  was  willing  to 
furnish  the  necessary  supplies,  and  arrangements 
had  been  made  which  Wellsted  felt  sure  would  have 
enabled  him  to  penetrate  into  the  interior,  he  was 
prevented  from  going  forward  by  a  violent  fever, 
from  the  effects  of  which  he  remained  insensible  for 
five  days.  Recovering  sufficiently  to  travel,  his 
only  course  was  to  return  at  once  to  the  seacoast, 
and  on  the  22d  of  January,  1836,  he  left  Neswah 
for  the  little  port  of  Sib,  where  he  arrived  after  a 
slow  journey  of  eight  days.  He  relates  the  follow¬ 
ing  incident,  which  occurred  at  Semayel,  the  half¬ 
way  station  :  “  Weary  and  f'aint  from  the  fatigue  of 
the  day’s  journey,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  freshness  of 
the  evening  breeze  I  had  my  carpet  spread  beneath 
a  tree.  An  Arab  passing  by,  paused  to  gaze  upon 
me,  and,  touched  by  my  condition  and  the  melan¬ 
choly  which  was  depicted  on  my  countenance,  he 
proffered  the  salutation  of  peace,  pointed  to  the 
crystal  stream  which  sparkled  at  my  feet,  and  said : 

‘  Look,  friend,  for  running  water  maketh  the  heart 
glad !’  With  his  hands  folded  over  his  breast,  that 
mute  but  most  graceful  of  Eastern  salutations,  he 
bowed  and  passed  on.  I  was  in  a  situation  to  esti¬ 
mate  sympathy ;  and  so  much  of  that  feeling  was 
exhibited  in  the  manner  of  this  son  of  the  desert, 
that  I  have  never  since  recurred  to  the  incident, 
trifling  as  it  is,  without  emotion.” 

A  rest  of  four  weeks  at  Sib  recruited  the  trav¬ 
eller’s  strength,  and  he  determined  to  make  another 
effort  to  reach  Central  Arabia.  He  therefore  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  Sultan  for  an  escort  to  Bireimah,  the 


WELLSTED' S  EXPLORATIONS  IX  OMAN. 


first  town  of  the  Wahabees,  beyond  the  northern 
frontier  of  Oman.  The  Sultan  sent  a  guide,  but  ob¬ 
jected  to  the  undertaking,  as  word  had  just  arrived 
that  the  Wahabees  were  preparing  to  invade  his 
territory.  Wellsted,  however,  was  not  willing  to 
give  up  his  design  without  at  least  making  the  at¬ 
tempt.  He  followed  the  coast,  north  of  Muscat,  as 
far  as  the  port  of  Suweik,  where  he  was  most  hospi¬ 
tably  received  by  the  wife  of  the  governor,  Seyd 
Hilal,  who  was  absent.  “  A  huge  meal,  consisting 
of  a  great  variety  of  dishes,  sufficient  for  thirty  or 
forty  people,  was  prepared  in  his  kitchen,  and 
brought  to  us  on  large  copper  dishes,  twice  a  day 
during  the  time  we  remained.  On  these  occasions 
there  w’as  a  great  profusion  of  blue  and  gilt  China 
ware,  cut  glass  dishes,  and  decanters  containing 
sherbet  instead  of  wine.” 

“  The  Shekh,”  Wellsted  continues,  “  after  his  re¬ 
turn,  usually  spent  the  evening  with  us.  On  one 
occasion  he  was  accompanied  by  a  professed  story¬ 
teller,  who  appeared  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  him. 

1  Whenever  I  feel  melancholy  or  out  of  order,’  said 
he,  ‘  I  send  for  this  man,  who  very  soon  restores  me 
to  my  wonted  spirits.’  From  the  falsetto  tone  in 
which  the  story  was  chanted,  I  could  not  follow  the 
thread  of  the  tale,  and,  upon  my  mentioning  this 
to  him,  the  Shekh  very  kindly  sent  me  the  manu¬ 
script,  of  which  the  reciter  had  availed  himself. 
With  little  variation  I  found  it  to  be  the  identical 
Sinbad  the  Sailor,  so  familiar  to  the  readers  of  the 
Arabian  Nights.  I  little  thought,  when  first  I  pe¬ 
rused  these  fascinating  tales  in  my  own  language, 


64 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


that  it  would  ever  be  my  lot  to  listen  to  the  original 
in  a  spot  so  congenial  and  so  remote.” 

Leaving  Suweik  on  the  4th  of  March,  Wellsted 
was  deserted  by  his  camel-men  at  the  end  of  the 
first  day’s  march,  but  succeeded  in  engaging  others 
at  a  neighboring  village.  The  road,  which  at  first 
led  between  low  hills,  now  entered  a  deep  mountain- 
gorge,  inclosed  by  abrupt  mountains  of  rock,  several 
thousand  feet  in  height. 

For  two  days  the  party  followed  this  winding  de¬ 
file,  where  the  precipices  frequently  towered  from 
three  to  four  thousand  feet  over  their  heads.  Then, 
having  passed  the  main  chain,  the  country  became 
more  open,  and  they  reached  the  village  ol  Muskin, 
in  the  territory  of  the  Beni  Kalban  Arabs.  Their 
progress  beyond  this  point  was  slow  and  tedious,  on 
account  of  the  country  being  divided  into  separate 
districts,  which  are  partly  independent  of  each  other. 
At  the  next  town,  Makiniyat,  the  Shekh  urged  them 
to  go  no  further,  on  account  of  the  great  risk,  but 
finally  consented  to  furnish  an  escort  to  Obri,  the 
last  town  to  the  northward,  which  acknowledges  the 
sway  of  Muscat.  This  was  distant  two  days  jour¬ 
ney — the  first  through  a  broad  valley  between  pyra¬ 
midal  hills,  the  second  over  sandy  plains,  which 
indicated  their  approach  to  the  Desert. 

Obri  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  populous 
towns  in  Oman.  The  inhabitants  devote  themsel\es 
almost  exclusively  to  agriculture,  and  export  large 
quantities  of  indigo,  sugar  and  dates.  On  arriving, 
Wellsted  went  immediately  to  the  residence  of  the 
Shekh,  whom  he  found  to  be  a  very  different  char- 


% 


A  VALLEY  IN  OMAN. 


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•"I'-.*'  *,' 


; 

i 


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l  • 


WEr  LSTED'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  OMAN 


55 


acter  from  the  officials  whom  he  had  hitherto  en¬ 
countered.  “  Upon  my  producing  the  Imam’s 
letters,”  says  he,  “  he  read  them,  and  took  his  leave 
without  returning  any  answer.  About  an  hour  after¬ 
wards  he  sent  a  verbal  message  to  request  that  I 
should  lose  no  time  in  quitting  his  town,  as  he 
oegged  to  inform  me,  what  he  supposed  I  could  not 
have  been  aware  of,  that  it  was  then  filled  with 
nearly  two  thousand  Wahabees.  This  was,  indeed, 
news  to  us ;  it  was  somewhat  earlier  than  we  antici¬ 
pated  falling  in  with  them,  but  we  put  a  good 
face  on  the  matter,  and  behaved  as  coolU  as  we 
could.” 

The  next  morning  the  S'hekh  returned,  with  a  po¬ 
sitive  refusal  to  allow  them  to  proceed  further. 
Wellsted  demanded  a  written  refusal,  as  evidence 
which  lie  could  present  to  the  Sultan,  and  this  the 
Sliekh  at  once  promised  to  give.  His  object  was 
evidently  to  force  the  traveller  away  from  the  place, 
and  such  was  the  threatening  appearance  of  things, 
that  the  latter  had  no  wish  to  remain.  The  Wa- 
habees  crowded  around  the  party  in  great  numbers, 
and  seemed  only  waiting  for  some  pretext  to  com¬ 
mence  an  affray.  “  When  the  Sliekh  came  and  pre¬ 
sented  me  with  the  letter  for  the  Sultan,”  says 
Weilsted,  “  I  knew  it  would  be  in  vain  to  make  any 
further  effort  to  shake  his  resolution,  and  therefore 
did  not  attempt  it.  In  the  meantime  news  had 
spread  far  and  wide  that  two  Englishmen,  with  a 
box  of  ‘  dollars,’  but  in  reality  containing  only  the 
few  clothes  that  we  carried  with  us,  had  halted  in 


56 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


the  town.  The  Waliabees  and  other  tribes  had  met 
in  deliberation,  while  the  lower  classes  of  the  towns¬ 
folk  were  creating  noise  and  confusion.  The  Shekh 
either  had  not  the  shadow  of  any  influence,  or  was 
afraid  to  exercise  it,  and  his  followers  evidently 
wished  to  share  in  the  plunder.  It  was  time  to  act. 
I  called  All  on  one  side,  told  him  to  make  neither 
noise  nor  confusion,  but  to  collect  the  camels  without 
delay.  In  the  meantime  we  had  packed  up  the 
tent,  the  crowd  increasing  every  minute  ;  the  camels 
were  ready,  and  we  mounted  on  them.  A  leader,  or 
some  trifling  incident,  was  now  only  wanting  to 
furnish  them  with  a  pretext  for  an  onset.  They  fol¬ 
lowed  us  with  hisses  and  various  other  noises,  until 
we  got  sufficiently  clear  to  push  briskly  forward ; 
and,  beyond  a  few  stones  being  thrown,  we  reached 
the  outskirts  of  the  town  without  further  molesta¬ 
tion.  I  had  often  before  heard  of  the  inhospitable 
character  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  place.  The 
neighboring  Arabs  observe  that  to  enter  Obri,  a  man 
must  either  go  armed  to  the  teeth,  or  as  a  beggar  with 
a  cloth,  and  that  not  of  decent  quality,  around  his 
waist.  Thus,  for  a  second  time,  ended  my  hopes  of 
reaching  Derreyeh  from  this  quarter.” 

Wellsted  was  forced  to  return  to  Suweik,  narrowly 
escaping  a  Bedouin  ambush  on  the  way.  As  a  last 
attempt,  he  followed  the  coast  as  far  as  Schinas, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Straits  of  Ormuz,  and  thence 
dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  Waliabees  at  Birsi- 
mali.  This  plan  also  failed,  and  he  then  returned 
to  India.  He  has  given  us,  however,  the  only  au- 


WELLSTED  'S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  031 AN.  57 


thentic  account  of  the  scenery  and  inhabitants  of 
the  interior  of  Oman,  and  his  travels  are  thus 
an  important  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of 
Arabia. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


wellsted’s  discovery  of  an  ancient  city  in 

HADBAMAUT. 

WHILE  employed  in  the  survey  of  the  south¬ 
ern  coast  of  Arabia  in  the  spring  of  1835, 
Lieutenant  Wellsted  was  occupied  for  a  time  near 
the  cape  called  Ras  el-Aseida,  in  Hadramaut, 
about  one  hundred  miles  east  of  Aden.  On  this 
cape  there  is  a  watch-tower,  with  the  guardian  of 
which,  an  officer  named  Hamed,  he  became  ac¬ 
quainted  ;  and  on  learning  from  the  Bedouins  of 
the  neighborhood  that  extensive  ruins,  which  they 
described  as  having  been  built  by  infidels,  and  of 
great  antiquity,  were  to  be  found  at  some  distance 
inland,  he  prevailed  upon  the  officer  to  procure  him 
camels  and  guides. 

One  day,  having  landed  with  a  midshipman  in 
order  to  visit  some  inscriptions  at  a  few  hours’  dis¬ 
tance,  the  Bedouins  who  brought  the  camels  re¬ 
fused  to  go  to  the  place,  but  expressed  their  will¬ 
ingness  to  convey  the  two  Europeans  to  the  ruined 
city.  Hamed  declined  to  accompany  them,  on  the 
plea  of  sickness,  and  they  were  unsupplied  with 
orovisions  or  presents  for  the  Skeklis  of  the  vil- 


DISCOVERY  OF  AN  ANCIENT  CITY. 


59 


I  ages  on  the  way.  Still  the  chance  was  too  tempt¬ 
ing  to  be  lost.  Wellsted  decided  to  trust  himself  to 
the  uncertain  protection  of  the  Bedouins,  sent  his 
boat  to  the  surveying  vessel  with  a  message  that  it 
should  meet  him  at  a  point  further  to  the  westward, 
at  the  end  of  three  days,  and  set  out  for  the  ruins 
late  in  the  afternoon. 

Leaving  the  seashore  at  sunset,  they  struck 
northward  into  the  interior,  and  travelled  until 
after  midnight,  passing  several  villages  of  the  Diya- 
bi  Bedouins,  a  very  fierce  and  powerful  tribe,  who 
are  dreaded  by  all  their  neighbors.  Scraping  for 
themselves  beds  in  the  sand,  the  travellers  slept  un¬ 
til  daybreak  without  being  disturbed.  The  path 
soon  after  mounted  a  ledge  about  four  hundred  feet 
in  height,  from  the  summit  of  which  they  obtained 
an  extensive  but  dreary  view  of  the  surrounding 
country.  Their  route  lay  along  a  broad  valley, 
skirted  on  each  side  by  a  lofty  range  of  mountains, 
by  eight  o’clock  the  sun  became  so  oppressive  that 
the  Bedouins  halted  under  the  shade  of  some 
stunted  tamarisk  trees.  “  Within  these  burning 
hollows,”  says  Wellsted,  “  the  sun’s  rays  are  con¬ 
centrated  and  thrown  off  as  from  a  mirror :  the 
herbs  around  were  scorched  to  a  cindery  blackness ; 
not  a  cloud  obscured  the  firmament,  and  the  breeze 
which  moaned  past  us  was  of  a  glowing  heat,  like 
that  escaping  from  the  mouth  of  a  furnace.  Our 
guides  dug  hollows  in  the  sand,  and  thrust  their 
blistered  feet  within  them.  Although  we  were  not 
long  in  availing  ourselves  of  the  practical  lesson 


60 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


they  had  taught  us,  I  began  to  be  far  from  pleased 
with  their  churlish  demeanor.” 

During  the  day  they  travelled  over  sandy  and 
stony  ridges,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  entered  the 
Wady  Meifah,  where  they  found  wells  of  good  wa¬ 
ter  and  scanty  vegetation.  “  The  country  now  be¬ 
gan  to  assume  a  far  different  aspect.  Numerous 
hamlets,  interspersed  amid  extensive  date  groves, 
verdant  fields  of  grain  and  herds  of  sleek  cattle, 
showed  themselves  in  every  direction,  and  we  now 
fell  in  with  parties  of  inhabitants  for  the  first  time 
since  leaving  the  seashore.  Astonishment  was  de¬ 
picted  on  their  countenances,  but  as  we  did  not 
halt,  they  had  no  opportunity  of  gratifying  their 
curiosity  by  gazing  at  us  for  any  length  of  time.” 

One  of  the  Bedouins,  however,  in  spite  of  Well- 
sted’s  remonstrances,  told  the  people  that  the  trav¬ 
ellers  were  in  search  of  buried  treasure.  When  the 
latter  attempted  to  encamp  near  a  village,  the  inha¬ 
bitants  requested  them  to  remove  ;  the  guides  proved 
to  be  ignorant  of  the  road  in  the  night,  and  they 
would  have  been  suffered  to  wander  about  without 
shelter,  but  for  the  kindness  of  an  old  woman,  who 
conducted  them  to  her  house.  This  proved  to  be  a 
kind  of  khan  for  travellers,  and  was  already  so 
crowded  that  the  travellers  were  obliged  to  sleep  in 
an  open  courtyard. 

They  were  hardly  prepared  for  the  scene  which 
daylight  disclosed  to  them.  “  The  dark  verdure  of 
fields  of  millet,  sorghum,  tobacco,  etc.,  extended  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Mingled  with  these  we 
had  the  soft  acacia  and  the  stately  but  more  som- 


DISCOVERY  OF  AN  ANCIENT  CITY. 


61 


bre  foliage  of  the  date  palm  ;  while  the  creaking  of 
numerous  wheels  with  which  the  grounds  were  irri¬ 
gated,  and  in  the  distance  several  rude  plows 
drawn  by  oxen,  the  ruddy  and  lively  appearance  of 
the  people,  who  now  flocked  towards  us  from  all 
quarters,  and  the  delightful  and  refreshing  coolness 
of  the  morning  air,  combined  to  form  a  scene  which 
he  who  gazes  on  the  barren  aspect  of  the  coast 
could  never  anticipate.” 

After  three  hours’  travel  through  this  bright  and 
populous  region,  they  came  in  sight  of  the  ruins, 
which  the  inhabitants  call  Ncikab  el- Hid  jar ,  (mean¬ 
ing  £i  The  Excavation  from  the  Rock.”)  Accord¬ 
ing  to  Wellsted’s  estimate,  they  are  about  fifty 
miles  from  the  coast. 

The  following  is  Wellsted’s  description  of  the 
place  :  “  The  hill  upon  which  these  ruins  are  situ¬ 

ated  stands  out  in  the  centre  of  the  valley,  and 
divides  a  stream  which  passes,  during  floods,  on 
either  side  of  it.  It  is  nearly  800  yards  in  length, 
and  about  350  yards  at  its  extreme  breadth.  About 
a  third  of  the  height  from  its  base  a  massive  wall, 
averaging  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  is  car¬ 
ried  completely  around  the  eminence,  and  flanked 
by  square  towers,  erected  at  equal  distances.  There 
are  but  two  entrances,  north  and  south ;  a  hol¬ 
low,  square  tower,  measuring  fourteen  feet,  stands 
on  both  sides  of  these.  Their  bases  extend  to 
the  plain  below,  and  are  carried  out  considerably 
beyond  the  rest  of  the  building.  Between  the 
towers,  at  an  elevation  of  twenty  feet  from  the 
plain,  there  is  an  oblong  platform  which  projects 


62 


TRAVELS  IN’  ARABIA . 


about  eighteen  feet  without  and  within  the  walls. 
A- flight  of  steps  was  apparently  once  attached  to 
either  extremity  of  the  building. 

“  Within  the  entrance,  at  an  elevation  of  ten  feet 
from  the  platform,  we  found  inscriptions.  They 
are  executed  with  extreme  care,  in  two  horizontal 
lines  on  the  smooth  face  of  the  stones,  the  letters 
being  about  eight  inches  long.  Attempts  have  been 
made,  though  without  success,  to  obliterate  them. 
From  the  conspicuous  situation  which  they  occupy, 
there  can  be  but  little  doubt  but  that,  when  deci¬ 
phered,  they  will  be  found  to  contain  the  name  of 
the  founder  of  the  building,  as  well  as  the  date  and 
and  purport  of  its  erection.*  The  whole  of  the 
walls  and  towers,  and  some  of  the  edifices  within, 
are  built  of  the  same  material — a  compact  grayish 
colored  marble,  hewn  to  the  required  shape  with 
the  utmost  nicety.  The  dimensions  of  the  slabs  at 
the  base  were  from  five  to  seven  feet  in  length,  two 
to  three  in  height,  and  three  to  four  in  breadth. 

“  Let  us  now  visit  the  interior,  where  the  most 
conspicuous  object  is  an  oblong  square  building,  the 
walls  of  which  face  the  cardinal  points :  its  dimen¬ 
sions  are  twenty-seven  by  seventeen  yards.  The 
walls  are  fronted  with  a  kind  of  freestone,  each 
slab  being  cut  of  the  same  size,  and  the  whole  so 
beautifully  put  together  that  I  endeavored  in  vain 
to  insert  the  blade  of  a  small  penknife  between 

*  The  inscription,  which  is  copied  in  Lieutenant  Wallsted’s 
work,  appears  to  be  in  the  Himyaritic  character.  If  any  transla¬ 
tion  cf  it  has  ever  been  made,  the  compiler  is  unable  to  say 
where  it  can  be  found. 


RUINS  OP  NAKAB-EL-IIADJAR,  IN  HADRAMAUT. 


DISCOVERT  OF  AN  ANCIENT  CITY. 


63 


them.  The  outer,  unpolished  surface  is  covered 
with  small  chisel-marks,  which  the  Bedouins  have 
mistaken  for  writing.  From  the  extreme  care  dis¬ 
played  in  the  construction  of  this  building,  I  have 
no  doubt  that  it  is  a  temple,  and  my  disappoint¬ 
ment  at  finding  the  interior  filled  up  with  the  ruins 
of  the  fallen  roof  was  very  great.  Had  it  re¬ 
mained  entire,  we  might  have  obtained  some  clue 
to  guide  us  in  our  researches  respecting  the  form  of 
religion  professed  by  the  earlier  Arabs.  Above 
and  beyond  this  building  there  are  several  other 
edifices,  with  nothing  peculiar  in  their  form  or 
appearance. 

“  In  no  portion  of  the  ruins  did  we  succeed  in 
tracing  any  remains  of  arches  or  columns,  nor 
could  we  discover  on  their  surface  any  of  those 
fragments  of  pottery,  colored  glass  or  metals, 
which  are  always  found  in  old  Egyptian  towns,  and 
which  I  also  saw  in  those  we  discovered  on  the 
northwest  coast  of  Arabia.  Except  the  attempts 
to  deface  the  inscriptions,  there  is  no  other  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  buildings  having  suffered  from  any  rav¬ 
ages  besides  those  of  time  ;  and  owing  to  the  dry¬ 
ness  of  the  climate,  as  well  as  the  hardness  of  the 
material,  every  stone,  even  to  the  marking  of  the 
chisel,  remains  as  perfect  as  the  day  it  was  hewn. 
We  were  anxious  to  ascertain  if  the  Arabs  had 
preserved  any  tradition  concerning  the  building, 
but  they  refer  them,  like  other  Arabs,  to  their  pa¬ 
gan  ancesto/s.  £Do  you  believe,’  said  one  of  the 
Bedouins  to  me  upon  my  telling  him  that  his  an¬ 
cestors  were  then  capable  of  greater  works  than 


(5  4 


TTwl  PEES  I2V  ARABIA. 


themselves,  ‘that  these  stones  were  raised  by  the 
unassisted  hands  of  the  Kafirs  ?  No !  no !  They 
had  devils,  legions  of  devils,  (God  preserve  us  from 
them  !)  to  aid  them.’  ” 

On  his  return  to  the  sea,  which  occupied  a  day 
and  a  half,  Wellsted  was  kindly  treated  by  the  na¬ 
tives,  and  suffered  only  from  the  intense  heat. 
The  vessel  was  fortunately  waiting  at  the  appointed 
place.  Since  the  journey  was  made,  (in  1836,)  Ba¬ 
ron  von  Wrede,  a  German  traveller,  has  succeeded 
in  exploring  a  portion  of  Hadramant,  penetrating 
as  far  as  Wady  Doan,  a  large  and  populous  valley, 
more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  the  coast.  But  a 
thorough  exploration  of  both  Yemen  and  Hadra- 
m&nt  is  still  wanting,  and  when  made,  it  will  un¬ 
doubtedly  result  in  many  important  discoveries. 


CHAPTER  YH. 


burton’s  PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA. 

CAPT.  RICHARD  E.  BIJRTON,  the  discoverer 
of  the  great  lake  Tanganyika,  in  Central  Africa, 
first  became  known  to  the  world  by  his  daring  and 
entirely  successful  visit  to  Medina  and  Mecca,  in  the 
year  1853,  in  the  disguise  of  a  Moslem  pilgrim. 
Although  his  journey  was  that  of  Burckhardt,  re¬ 
versed,  and  he  describes  the  same  ceremonies,  his 
account  supplies  many  deficiencies  in  the  narrative 
of  his  predecessor,  and  has  the  merit  of  a  livelier 
and  more  graphic  style. 

Burton’s  original  design  was  to  cross  the  Arabian 
Peninsula  from  west  to  east,  as  Palgrave  has  since 
done,  and  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  was  dis¬ 
posed  to  accept  his  services.  But  he  failed  to  ob¬ 
tain  a  sufficient  leave  of  absence  from  the  East 
India  Company,  which  only  granted  him  a  furlough 
of  one  year, — a  period  quite  insufficient  for  the 
undertaking.  He  therefore  determined  to  prove 
at  least  his  fitness  for  the  task,  by  making  the  pil¬ 
grimage  to  the  holy  cities.  He  was  already  familiar 
with  the  Arabic  and  Persian  languages,  and  had 
the  advantage  of  an  Eastern  cast  of  countenance. 


66 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Like  Burckhardt,  lie  assumed  an  Oriental  charac¬ 
ter  at  the  stay,  and  during  the  voyage  from  South¬ 
ampton  to  Alexandria  was  supposed  to  be  a  Per¬ 
sian  prince.  For  two  or  three  months  he  laboriously 
applied  himself  in  Egypt  to  the  necessary  religious 
studies,  joined  a  society  of  dervishes,  under  the 
name  of  Shekh  Abdullah,  kept  the  severe  fast  of 
Eamazan,  and  familiarized  himself  with  all  the  or¬ 
thodox  forms  of  ablution,  prayer,  and  prostration. 
He  gave  himself  out  to  be  an  Affghan  by  birth,  but 
long  absent  from  his  native  country,  a  character 
which  was  well  adapted  to  secure  him  against  de¬ 
tection.  During  his  stay  in  Cairo  he  made  the  ac¬ 
quaintance  of  a  boy  named  Mohammed  el-Basyuni, 
a  native  of  Mecca,  who  became  his  companion  for 
the  journey,  and  who  seems  not  to  have  suspected 
his  real  character  until  the  pilgrimage  was  over. 

Having  purchased  a  tent  and  laid  in  an  ample 
supply  of  provisions,  with  about  $100  in  money,  he 
went  to  Suez  about  the  1st  of  July,  with  the  avowed 
purpose  of  proceeding  to  Mecca  by  way  of  Djidda, 
yet  with  the  secret  intention  of  visiting  Medina  on 
the  way.  Here  he  became  acquainted  with  a  com¬ 
pany  of  pilgrims,  whose  good  will  he  secured  by 
small  loans  of  money,  and  joined  them  in  taking 
passage  in  a  large  Arab  boat,  bound  for  Yembo. 
The  vessel  was  called  the  “  Golden  Wire.”  “  Im¬ 
mense  was  the  confusion,”  says  Burton,  “  on  the 
eventful  day  of  our  departure.  Suppose  us  standing 
on  the  beach,  on  the  morning  of  a  fiery  July  day, 
carefully  watching  our  hurriedly-packed  goods  and 
chattels,  surrounded  by  a  mob  of  idlers  who  are  not 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MELINA  AND  MECCA.  GT 


too  proud  to  pick  up  waifs  and  strays,  while  pilgrims 
rush  about  apparently  mad,  and  friends  are  weeping, 
acquaintances  vociferating  adieux,  boatmen  demand¬ 
ing  fees,  shopmen  claiming  debts,  women  shrieking 
and  talking  with  inconceivable  power,  children  cry¬ 
ing, — in  short,  for  an  hour  or  so  we  were  in  the 
thick  of  a  human  storm.  To  confound  confusion, 
the  boatmen  have  moored  their  skiff  half  a  dozen 
yards  away  from  the  shore,  lest  the  porters  should 
be  unable  to  make  more  than  double  their  fare 
from  the  pilgrims.” 

They  sailed  on  the  6th  of  July,  and  were  five 
days  in  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Gulf  of  Akaba. 
While  crossing  to  the  Arabian  shore,  the  pilgrims 
are  accustomed  to  repeat  the  following  prayer,  which 
is  a  good  example  of  Moslem  invocation  :  “  O  Allah 
O  Exalted,  O  Almighty,  O  All-pitiful,  O  All-power¬ 
ful,  thou  art  my  God,  and  sufficeth  to  me  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  it !  Glorified  be  the  Lord  my  Lord,  and 
glorified  be  the  faith  my  faith !  Thou  givest  victory 
to  whom  thou  pleasest,  and  thou  art  the  glorious, 
the  merciful !  We  pray  thee  for  safety  in  our  goings- 
forth  and  in  our  standings -still,  in  our  words  and 
our  designs,  in  our  dangers  of  temptation  and 
doubts,  and  the  secret  designs  of  our  hearts.  Sub¬ 
ject  unto  us  this  sea,  even  as  thou  didst  subject  the 
deep  to  Moses,  and  as  thou  didst  subject  the  fire  to 
Abraham,  and  as  thou  didst  subject  the  iron  to 
David,  and  as  thou  didst  subject  the  wind,  and 
devils,  and  genii,  and  mankind  to  Solomon,  and  as 
thou  didst  subject  the  moon  and  El-Burak  to  Mo¬ 
hammed,  upon  whom  be  Allah’s  mercy  and  His 


68 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


blessing !  And  subject  unto  us  all  the  seas  in  earth 
and  heaven,  in  the  visible  and  in  thine  invisible 
worlds,  the  sea  of  this  life,  and  the  sea  of  futuiity. 
O  thou  who  reignest  over  everything,  and  unto 
whom  all  things  return,  Khyar  !  Khyar  !” 

A  further  voyage  of  another  week,  uncomfortable 
and  devoid  of  incident,  brought  the  vessel  to  Yembo, 
As  the  pilgrims  were  desirous  of  pushing  on  to  Me¬ 
dina,  camels  were  hired  on  the  day  of  arrival,  and, 
a  week’s  provisions  having  been  purchased,  the  little 
caravan  started  the  next  afternoon.  Burton,  by  the 
advice  of  his  companions,  assumed  the  Arab  dress, 
but  travelled  in  a  litter,  both  because  of  an  injury 
to  his  foot,  and  because  he  could  thus  take  notes  on 
the  way  without  being  observed.  On  account  of 
the  heat  the  caravan  travelled  mostly  by  night ;  the 
country,  thus  dimly  seen,  was  low  and  barren  for 
the  first  two  days,  but  on  the  third  day  they  reached 
a  wilder  region,  which  Burton  thus  describes  :  “  We 
travelled  through  a  country  fantastic  in  its  deso¬ 
lation — a  mass  of  huge  hills,  barren  plains,  and 
desert  vales.  Even  the  sturdy  acacias  here  failed, 
and  in  some  places  the  camel  grass  could  not  find 
earth  enough  to  take  root  in.  The  road  wound 
among  mountains,  rocks,  and  hills  of  granite,  over 
broken  ground,  Hanked  by  huge  blocks  and  boulders, 
piled  up  as  if  man’s  art  had  aided  nature  to  dis¬ 
figure  herself.  Yast  clefts  seemed  like  scars  on  the 
hideous  face  of  earth  ;  here  they  widened  into  dark 
caves,  there  they  were  choked  up  with  glistening 
drift  sand.  Not  a  bird  or  a  beast  was  to  be  seen  or 
heard  ;  their  presence  would  have  argued  the  vicinity 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA. 


69 


of  water,  and  though  my  companions  opined  that 
Bedouins  were  lurking  among  the  rocks,  I  decided 
that  these  Bedouins  were  the  creatures  of  their 
fears.  Above,  a  sky  like  polished  blue  steel,  with  a 
tremendous  blaze  of  yellow  light  glared  upon  us, 
without  the  thinnest  veil  of  mist  or  cloud.  The  distant 
prospect,  indeed,  was  more  attractive  than  the  near 
view,  because  it  borrowed  a  bright  azure  tinge  from 
the  intervening  atmosphere ;  but  the  jagged  peaks 
and  the  perpendicular  streaks  of  shadow  down  the 
flanks  of  the  mountainous  background  showed  that 
no  change  for  the  better  was  yet  in  store  for  us.” 

At  the  little  towns  of  El-Hamra  and  Bir  Abbas 
the  caravan  rested  a  day,  suffering  much  from  the 
intense  heat,  and  with  continual  quarrels  between 
the  pilgrims  and  the  Arabs  to  whom,  the  camels 
belonged.  At  the  latter  place  they  were  threatened 
with  a  detention  of  several  days,  but  the  difficulty 
was  settled,  and  they  set  out  upon  the  most  danger¬ 
ous  portion  of  the  road.  “We  travelled  that  night,” 
says  Burton,  “up  a  dry  river- course  in  an  easterly 
direction,  and  at  early  dawn  found  ourselves  in  an 
ill-famed  gorge,  called  Shuab  el-Hadj  (the  ‘  Pilgrim’s 
Pass.*)  The  loudest  talkers  became  silent  as  we 
neared  it,  and  their  countenances  showed  appre¬ 
hension  written  in  legible  characters.  Presently, 
from  the  high,  precipitous  cliff  on  our  left,  thin  blue 
curls  of  smoke, — somehow  or  other  they  caught 
every  eye, — rose  in  the  air,  and  instantly  afterwards 
rang  the  loud,  sharp  cracks  of  the  hill-men’s  match¬ 
locks,  echoed  by  the  rocks  on  the  right.  My  shug- 
duf  had  been  broken  by  the  camel’s  falling  during 


70 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


the  night,  so  I  called  out  to  Mansur  that  we  had 
better  splice  the  frame-work  with  a  bit  of  rope  ;  he 
looked  up,  saw  me  laughing,  and  with  an  ejaculation 
of  disgust  disappeared.  A  number  of  Bedouins 
were  to  be  seen  swarming  like  hornets  over  the 
crests  of  the  rocks,  boys  as  well  as  men  carrying 
huge  weapons,  and  climbing  with  the  agility  of  cats. 
They  took  up  comfortable  places  in  the  cut-throat 
eminence,  and  began  firing  upon  us  with  perfect 
convenience  to  themselves.  The  height  of  the  hills 
and  the  glare  of  the  rising  sun  prevented  my  seeing 
objects  very  distinctly,  but  my  companions  pointed 
out  to  me  places  where  the  rock  had  been  scarped, 
and  a  kind  of  breastwork  of  rough  stones — the  San- 
gah  of  Affghanistan,  piled  up  as  a  defence,  and  a 
rest  for  the  long  barrel  of  the  matchlock.  It  was 
useless  to  challenge  the  Bedouins  to  come  down 
and  fight  us  upon  the  plain  like  men  ;  and  it  was 
equally  unprofitable  for  our  escort  to  fire  upon  a  foe 
ensconced  behind  stones.  We  had,  therefore,  nothing 
to  do  but  to  blaze  away  as  much  powder  and  to 
veil  ourselves  in  as  much  smoke  as  possible  ;  the  re¬ 
sult  of  the  affair  was  that  we  lost  twelve  men,  be¬ 
sides  camels  and  other  beasts  of  burden.  Though 
the  bandits  showed  no  symptoms  of  bravery,  and 
confined  themselves  to  slaughtering  the  enemy  from 
their  liill-top,  my  companions  seemed  to  consider 
this  questionable  affair  a  most  gallant  exploit.” 

After  two  more  days  of  severe  travel,  the  pilgrims, 
at  early  dawn,  came  in  sight  of  the  holy  city  of  Me¬ 
dina.  Burton  thus  describes  the  approach,  and  the 
view  from  the  western  ridge  :  “  Half  an  hour  after 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  71 


leaving  the  Wady  el-Akik,  or  “  Blessed  Valley,”  we 
came  to  a  huge  flight  of  steps,  roughly  cut  in  a  long, 
broad  line  of  black,  scoriaceous  basalt.  This  is 
called  the  Mudarraj ,  or  flight  of  steps  over  the 
western  ridge  of  the  so-called  El-Harratain ;  it  is 
holy  ground,  for  the  Prophet  spoke  well  of  it. 
Arrived  at  the  top,  we  passed  through  a  lane  of 
black  scoria,  with  steep  banks  on  both  sides,  and, 
after  a  few  minutes,  a  full  view  of  the  city  suddenly 
opened  on  us.  We  halted  our  beasts  as  if  by  word 
of  command.  All  of  us  descended,  in  imitation  of 
the  pious  of  old,  and  sat  down,  jaded  and  hungry 
as  we  were,  to  feast  our  eyes  with  a  view  of  the 
Holy  City.  The  prayer  was,  ‘  0  Allah  !  this  is  the 
Haram  (sanctuary)  of  the  Prophet ;  make  it  to  us  a 
protection  from  hell  fire,  and  a  refuge  from  eternal 
punishment!  0,  open  the  gates  of  thy  mercy,  and 
let  us  pass  through  them  to  the  land  of  joy  P  ” 

“  As  we  looked  eastward,  the  sun  arose  out  of  the 
horizon  of  low  hills,  blurred  and  dotted  with  small 
tufted  trees,  which  gained  a  giant  stature  from  the 
morning  mists,  and  the  earth  was  stained  with  gold 
and  purple.  Before  us  lay  a  spacious  plain, 
bounded  in  front  by  the  undulating  ground  of 
Nedjed  ;  on  the  left  was  a  grim  barrier  of  rocks,  the 
celebrated  Mount  Ohod,  with  a  clump  of  verdure 
and  a  white  dome  or  two  nestling  at  its  base. 
Rightward,  broad  streaks  of  lilac-colored  mists  were 
thick  with  gathered  dew,  there  pierced  and  thinned 
by  the  morning  rays,  stretched  over  the  date  groves 
and  the  gardens  of  Kuba,  which  stood  out  in 
emerald  green  from  the  dull  tawny  surface  of  the 


72 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


plain.  Below,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  miles, 
lay  El  Medina ;  at  first  sight  it  appeared  a  large 
place,  but  a  closer  inspection  proved  the  impression 
to  be  an  erroneous  one.” 

On  arriving  at  Medina,  Burton  became  the  guest 
of  one  of  the  company  he  had  met  at  Suez, 
and,  during  his  stay  of  a  month  in  the  city,  per¬ 
formed  all  the  religious  ceremonies  and  visitations 
which  are  prescribed  for  the  pilgrim.  He  gives  the 
following  description  of  the  Prophet’s  mosque  : 
“  Passing  through  muddy  streets — they  had  been 
freshly  watered  before  evening  time — I  came  sud¬ 
denly  upon  the  mosque.  Like  that  at  Mecca,  the 
approach  is  choked  up  by  ignoble  buildings,  some 
actually  touching  the  holy  ‘  enceinte,’  others  sepa¬ 
rated  by  a  lane  compared  with  which  the  road 
around  St.  Paul’s  is  a  Vatican  square.  There  is 
no  outer  front,  no  general  aspect  of  the  Prophet’s 
mosque ;  consequently,  as  a  building  it  has  neither 
beauty  nor  dignity.  And  entering  the  Bab  el-Bali- 
mah — the  Gate  of  Pity — by  a  diminutive  flight  of 
steps,  I  was  astonished  at  the  mean  and  tawdry  ap¬ 
pearance  of  a  place  so  universally  venerated  in  the 
Moslem  world.  It  is  not  like  the  Meccan  mosque, 
grand  and  simple — the  expression  of  a  single  sub¬ 
lime  idea ;  the  longer  I  looked  at  it  the  more  it 
suggested  the  resemblance  of  a  musuem  of  second- 
rate  art,  a  curiosity-sliop,  full  of  ornaments  that 
are  not  accessories,  and  decorated  with  pauper 
splendor.” 

We  must  also  quote  the  traveller’s  account  of  his 
manner  of  spending  the  day,  during  his  residence  in 


VIEW  OF  MEDINA  FROM  THE  WEST. 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  73 


Medina  :  “  At  dawn  we  arose,  washed,  prayed  and 

broke  our  fast  upon  a  crust  of  stale  bread,  before 
smoking  a  pipe,  and  drinking  a  cup  of  coffee. 
Then  it  was  time  to  dress,  to  mount,  and  to  visit 
the  Haram  in  one  of  the  holy  places  outside  the 
city.  Returning  before  the  sun  became  intolerable, 
we  sat  together,  and  with  conversation,  shishas  and 
chibouques,  coffee  and  cold  water  perfumed  with 
mastich-smoke,  we  whiled  away  the  time  till  our 
ariston ,  an  early  dinner  which  appeared  at  the  pri¬ 
mitive  hour  of  11  A.  M.  The  meal  was  served  in 
the  majlis  on  a  large  copper  tray,  sent  from  the 
upper  apartments.  Ejaculating  “  Bismillah  ” — the 
Moslem  grace — we  all  sat  round  it,  and  dipped  equal 
hands  in  the  dishes  set  before  us.  We  had  usually 
unleavened  bread,  different  kinds  of  meat  and  vege¬ 
table  stews,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  course  plain 
boiled  rice,  eaten  with  spoons ;  then  came  the  fruits, 
fresh  dates,  grapes,  and  pomegranates.  After 
dinner  I  used  invariably  to  find  some  excuse — such 
as  the  habit  of  a  “  Kaylulah,”  (mid-day  siesta,)  or 
the  being  a  “  Saudawi  ”  or  person  of  melancholy 
temperament,  to  have  a  rug  spread  in  the  dark  pas¬ 
sage,  and  there  to  lie  reading,  dozing,  smoking  or 
writing,  all  through  the  worst  part  of  the  day,  from 
noon  to  sunset.  Then  came  the  hour  for  receiving 
and  paying  visits.  The  evening  prayers  ensued, 
either  at  home  or  in  the  Haram,  followed  by  our 
supper,  another  substantial  meal  like  the  dinner, 
but  more  plentiful,  of  bread,  meat,  vegetables,  rice 
and  fruits.  In  the  evening,  we  sometimes  dressed 
in  common  clothes,  and  went  to  the  cafe  sometimes 


74 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


on  festive  occasions  we  indulged  in  a  late  snppei  of 
sweetmeats,  pomegranates  and  dried  fruits.  Usually 
we  sat  upon  mattresses  spread  upon  the  ground  in 
the  open  air  at  the  Shekh’s  door,  receiving  evening 
visits,  chatting,  telling  stories,  and  making  merry, 
till  each,  as  he  felt  the  approach  of  the  drowsy  god, 
sank  down  into  his  proper  place,  and  fell  asleep. 

Burton  was  charmed  with  the  garden  and  date- 
groves  about  Medina,  and  enjoyed  the  excursions, 
which  were  enjoined  upon  him  as  a  pilgrim,  to  Jebel 
Oliod,  the  mosque  of  Kuba,  and  other  places  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  city.  On  the  28th  of  August  the 
caravan  of  pilgrims  from  Damascus  arrived,  and,  on 
account  of  danger  from  the  Bedouins,  decided  to 
leave  on  the  fourth  day  afterwards,  taking  the 
Desert  road  to  Mecca,  the  same  travelled  by  the 
Caliph  Haroun  El-Raschid  and  his  wife  Zobeida, 
instead  of  the  longer  road  nearer  the  coast,  which 
Burckhardt  had  followed.  When  this  plan  was  an¬ 
nounced,  Burton  and  his  companions  had  but  twenty- 
four  hours  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  ;  but 
by  hard  work  they  were  ready.  Leaving  Medina, 
they  hastened  onward  to  secure  good  places  in  the 
caravan,  which  was  composed  of  about  7,000  pil¬ 
grims,  and  extended  over  many  miles  of  the  road. 

For  the  first  four  days  they  travelled  southward 
over  a  wild,  desolate  country,  almost  destitute  of 
water  and  vegetation.  On  account  of  heat,  as  well 
as  for  greater  security,  the  journey  was  made  chiefly 
by  night,  although  the  forced  marches  between  tho 
wells  obliged  them  sometimes  to  endure  the  greatest 
heat  of  the  day.  Burton  says “  I  can  scarcely 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  75 

¥ 

find  words  to  express  the  weary  horrors  of  a  long 
night’s  march,  during  which  the  hapless  traveller, 
fuming,  if  a  European,  with  disappointment  in  his 
hopes  of  “  seeing  the  country,”  is  compelled  to  sit 
upon  the  back  of  a  creeping  camel.  The  day  sleep 
too  is  a  kind  of  lethargy,  and  it  is  all  but  impossible 
to  preserve  an  appetite  during  the  hours  of  heat.” 

After  making  ninety-nine  miles  from  Medina,  they 
reached  the  village  of  El  Suwayrkiyah,  which  is  in¬ 
cluded  within  the  Meccan  territory.  The  town,  con- 
consisting  of  about  100  houses,  is  built  at  the  base 
and  on  the  sides  of  a  basaltic  mass,  which  rises 
abruptly  from  the  hard  clayey  plain.  The  summit 
is  converted  into  a  rude  fortalice  by  a  bulwark  of 
uncut  stone,  piled  up  so  as  to  make  a  parapet.  The 
lower  part  of  the  town  is  protected  by  a  mud  wall, 
with  the  usual  semicircular  towers.  Inside  there  is  a 
bazaar,  well  supplied  with  meat  (principally  mutton) 
by  the  neighboring  Bedouins,  and  wheat,  barley, 
and  dates  are  grown  near  the  town.  There  is  little 
to  describe  in  the  narrow  streets  and  the  mud 
houses,  -which  are  essentially  Arab.  The  fields 
around  are  divided  into  little  square  plots  by  earthen 
ridges  and  stone  walls  ;  some  of  the  palms  are  fine 
grown  trees,  and  the  wells  appeared  numerous.  The 
water  is  near  the  surface  and  plentiful,  but  it  has  a 
brackish  taste,  highly  disagreeable  after  a  few  days’ 
use,  and  the  effects  are  the  reverse  of  chalybeate. 

Seventeen  miles  beyond  the  El  Suwayrkiyah  is 
the  small  village  of  Sufayuah,  beyond  which  the 
country  becomes  again  very  wild  and  barren.  Bur¬ 
ton  thus  describes  the  scenery,  the  day  after  leaving 


76 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Sufayuah :  “  This  day’s  march  was  peculiarly 

Arabia.  It  was  a  desert  peopled  only  with  echoes— 
a  place  of  death  for  what  little  there  is  to  die  in  it 
—a  wilderness,  where,  to  use  my  companion’s  phrase, 
there  is  nothing  but  He  (Allah.)  Nature,  scalped, 
flayed,  discovered  her  anatomy  to  the  gazer’s  eye. 
The  horizon  was  a  sea  of  mirage  ;  gigantic  sand- 
columns  whirled  over  the  plain  ;  and  on  both  sides 
of  our  road  were  huge  piles  of  bare  rock,  standing 
detached  upon  the  surface  of  sand  and  clay.  Here 
they  appeared  in  oval  lumps,  heaped  up  with  a 
semblance  of  symmetry ;  there  a  single  boulder 
stood,  with  its  narrow  foundation  based  upon  a  pe¬ 
destal  of  low,  dome-shaped  rock.  All  are  of  a  pink 
coarse-grained  granite,  which  flakes  off  in  large 
crusts  under  the  influence  of  the  atmosphere,” 

After  four  more  long  marches,  the  caravan  reached 
a  station  called  El  Zaribah,  where  the  pilgrims 
halted  a  day  to  assume  the  ihram ,  or  costume  which 
they  wear  on  approaching  Mecca.  They  were  now 
in  the  country  of  the  Utaybali  Bedouins,  the  most 
fierce  and  hostile  of  all  the  tribes  on  the  road. 
Although  only  two  marches,  or  fifty  miles,  from 
Mecca,  the  pilgrims  were  by  no  means  safe,  as  the 
night  after  they  left  Zaribah  testified.  While 
threading  a  narrow  pass  between  high  rocks,  in  the 
twilight,  there  was  a  sudden  discharge  of  musketry 
and  some  camels  dropped  dead.  The  Utaybah, 
hidden  behind  the  rocks  crowning  the  pass,  poured 
down  an  irregular  fire  upon  the  pilgrims,  who  were 
panic-stricken  and  fell  into  great  disorder.  The 
Wahabees,  however,  commenced  scaling  the  rocks, 


PILGF IMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  77 


and  very  soon  drove  the  robbers  from  tlieir  ambush. 
The  caravan  then  hurried  forward  in  great  disorder, 
leaving  the  dead  and  severely  wounded  lying  on  the 
ground. 

“  At  the  beginning  of  the  skirmish,”  says  Burton, 
“  I  had  primed  my  pistols,  and  sat  with  them  ready 
for  use.  But  soon  seeing  that  there  was  nothing  to 
be  done,  and,  wishing  to  make  an  impression, — no¬ 
where  does  Bobadil  now  “  go  down  ”  but  in  the 
East, — I  called  aloud  for  my  supper.  Shekh  Nur, 
exanimate  with  fear,  could  not  move.  The  boy 
Mohammed  ejaculated  only  an  “  Oh,  sir  !  ”  and  the 
people  around  exclaimed  in  disgust,  “  By  Allah  !  he 
eats  !  ”  Shekh  Abdullah,  the  Meccan,  being  a  man 
of  spirit,  was  amused  by  the  spectacle.  “  Are  these 
Affghan  manners,  Effendim  ?  ”  he  inquired  from  the 
sliugduf  behind  me.  “  Yes,”  I  replied  aloud,  “  in 
my  country  we  always  dine  before  an  attack  of 
robbers,  because  that  gentry  is  in  the  habit  of  send¬ 
ing  men  to  bed  supperless.”  The  Shekh  laughed 
aloud,  but  those  around  him  looked  offended.” 

The  morning  after  this  adventure,  the  pilgrims 
reached  the  Wady  Laymun,  or  Valley  of  Limes,  a 
beautiful  region  of  gardens  and  orchards,  only  24 
miles  from  Mecca.  Here  they  halted  four  hours  to 
rest,  and  enjoy  the  fruits  and  fresh  water  ;  then  the 
line  of  march  was  resumed  towards  the  Holy  City. 
In  the  afternoon,  the  range  of  Jebel  Kora,  in  the 
southeast,  became  visible,  and  as.  evening  ap¬ 
proached  all  eyes  were  strained,  but  in  vain,  for  a 
sight  of  Mecca.  Night  came  down,  and  the  pil¬ 
grims  moved  slowly  onward,  in  the  darkness.  An 


78 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


hour  after  midnight,  Burton  was  roused  by  a  gen¬ 
eral  excitement  in  the  caravan.  “  Mecca  !  Mecca  !  ’ 
cried  some  voices  ;  “  The  Sanctuary,  O  the  Sanc¬ 
tuary  !  ”  exclaimed  others,  and  all  burst  into  loud 
cries  of  “  Labeyk !  ”  not  unfrequently  broken  by 
sobs.  Looking  out  from  his  litter,  the  traveller  saw 
by  the  light  of  the  southern  stars,  the  dim  outlines 
of  a  large  city.  They  were  passing  over  the  last 
rocky  ridge,  by  an  artificial  cut.  The  winding  path 
was  flanked  on  both  sides  by  high  watch-towers  ;  a 
short  distance  further,  they  entered  the  northern 
suburb. 

The  Meccan  boy  Mohammed,  who  had  been  Bur¬ 
ton’s  companion  during  the  pilgrimage,  conducted 
the  latter  to  his  mother’s  house,  where  he  remained 
during  his  stay.  A  meal  of  vermicelli  and  sugar 
was  prepared  on  their  arrival  in  the  night,  and  after 
an  hour  or  two  of  sleep  they  rose  at  dawn,  in  order 
to  perform  the  ceremonies  of  arrival.  After  having 
bathed,  they  walked  in  their  pilgrim  garb  to  the 
Beit  Allah ,  or  “  House  of  God.” 

“  There,”  says  Burton,  “  there  at  last  it  lay,  the 
bourne  of  my  long  and  weary  pilgrimage,  realizing 
the  plans  and  hopes  of  many  and  many  a  year. 
The  mirage  medium  of  fancy  invested  the  huge  cata¬ 
falque  and  its  gloomy  pall  with  peculiar  charms. 
There  were  no  giant  fragments  of  hoar  antiquity  as 
in  Egypt,  no  remains  of  graceful  and  harmonious 
beauty  as  in  Greece  and  Italy,  no  barbaric  gorgeous¬ 
ness  as  in  the  buildings  of  India  ;  yet  the  view  was 
strange,  unique,  and  how  few  have  looked  upon  the 
celebrated  shrine  !  I  may  truly  say  that,  of  all  the 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  ANT  MECCA. 


79 


worshippers  who  clung  weeping  to  the  curtain,  or 
who  pressed  their  beating  hearts  to  the  stone,  none 
felt  for  the  moment  a  deeper  emotion  than  did  the 
Hadji  from  the  far  north.  It  was  as  if  the  poetical 
legends  of  the  Arab  spoke  truth,  and  that  the  waving 
wings  of  angels,  not  the  sweet  breeze  of  morning, 
were  agitating  and  swelling  the  black  covering  of 
the  shrine.  But,  to  confess  humbling  truth,  theirs 
was  the  high  feeling  of  religious  enthusiasm,  mine 
was  the  ecstasy  of  gratified  pride.” 

Burton’s  description  of  the  Beit  Allah  and  the 
Kaaba,  is  more  minute  and  careful  than  that  of 
Burckhardt,  but  does  not  differ  from  it  in  any  im¬ 
portant  particular.  Neither  is  it  necessary  to  quote 
his  account  of  the  ceremonies  to  be  performed  by 
each  individual  pilgrim,  with  all  their  mechanical 
prostrations  and  repetitions.  His  account  of  the 
visit  to  the  famous  Black  Stone,  however,  is  both 
curious  and  amusing:  “For  a  long  time  I  stood 
looking  in  despair  at  the  swarming  crowd  of  Be¬ 
douin  and  other  pilgrims  that  besieged  it.  But  the 
boy  Mohammed  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  During 
our  circuit  he  had  displayed  a  fiery  zeal  against 
heresy  and  schism,  by  foully  abusing  every  Persian 
in  his  path  ;  and  the  inopportune  introduction  of 
hard  words  into  his  prayers  made  the  latter  a 
strange  patchwork.  He  might,  for  instance,  be  re¬ 
peating  4 and  I  take  refuge  with  thee  from  ignominy 
in  this  world,’  when,  4  O  thou  rejected  one,  son  of 
the  rejected !  ”  would  be  the  interpolation  ad¬ 
dressed  to  some  long-bearded  Kliorasani,  “  and  in 
that  to  come — 0  hog  and  brother  of  a  hoggess  1 


JO 


TRAVELS  L V  ARABIA. 


And  so  he  continued  till  I  wondered  that  no  one 
dared  to  turn  and  rend  him.  After  vainly  address¬ 
ing  the  pilgrims,  of  whom  nothing  could  be  seen 
but  a  mosaic  of  occiputs  and  shoulder-blades,  the 
boy  Mohammed  collected  about  half  a  dozen  stal¬ 
wart  Meccans,  with  whose  assistance,  by  sheer 
strength,  we  wedged  our  way  into  the  thin  and 
light-legged  crowd.  The  Bedouins  turned  round 
upon  us  like  wildcats,  but  they  had  no  daggers. 
The  season  being  autumn,  they  had  not  swelled 
themselves  with  milk  for  six  months  ;  and  they  had 
become  such  living  mummies,  that  I  could  have 
managed  single-handed  half  a  dozen  of  them. 
After  thus  reaching  the  stone,  despite  popular  indig¬ 
nation,  testified  by  impatient  shouts,  we  monopo¬ 
lized  the  use  of  it  for  at  least  ten  minutes.  Whilst 
kissing  it  and  rubbing  hands  and  forehead  upon  it 
I  narrowly  observed  it,  and  came  away  persuaded 
that  it  is  a  big  aerolite.” 

On  the  12th  of  September,  the  pilgrims  set  out 
for  Mount  Arafat.  Three  miles  from  Mecca  there 
is  a  large  village  called  Muna,  noted  for  three 
standing  miracles — the  pebbles,  there  thrown  at  the 
Devil,  return  by  angelic  agency  to  whence  they 
came ;  during  the  three  days  of  drying  meat  rapa¬ 
cious  birds  and  beasts  cannot  prey  there,  and  flies 
do  not  settle  upon  the  articles  of  food  exposed  in 
the  bazaars.  Beyond  the  place  there  is  a  mosque 
called  El  Kliayf,  where,  according  to  some  tradi¬ 
tions,  Adam  is  buried,  his  head  being  at  one  end  of 
the  long  wall  and  his  feet  at  the  other,  while  th 
the  dome  is  built  over  his  naveL 


CAMP  AT  MOUNT  ARAFAT. 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  gl 


“Arafat,”  says  Burton,  “  is  about  a  six  hours’ 
march,  or  twelve  miles,  on  the  Taif  road,  due  east 
of  Mecca.  We  arrived  there  in  a  shorter  time, 
but  our  weary  camels,  during  the  last  third  of  the 
way,  frequently  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground. 
Human  beings  suffered  more.  Between  Muna  and 
Arafat  I  saw  no  less  than  five  men  fall  down  and 
clie  upon  the  highway  ;  exhausted  and  moribund, 
they  had  dragged  themselves  out  to  give  up  the 
ghost  where  it  departs  to  instant  beatitude.  The 
spectacle  showed  how  easy  it  is  to  die  in  these  lati¬ 
tudes  ;  each  man  suddenly  staggered,  fell  as  if  shot, 
and,  after  a  brief  convulsion,  lay  still  as  marble. 
The  corpses  were  carefully  taken  up,  and  carelessly 
buried  that  same  evening,  in  a  vacant  space  amongst 
the  crowds  encaimped  upon  the  Arafat  plain. 

“  Nothing  can  be  more  picturesque  than  the  view 
the  mountain  affords  of  the  blue  peaks  behind,  and 
the  vast  encampment  scattered  over  the  barren 
yellow  plain  below.  On  the  north  lay  the  regularly 
pitched  camp  of  the  guards  that  defend  the  unarmed 
pilgrims.  To  the  eastward  was  the  Scherif’ s  encamp¬ 
ment  with  the  bright  mahmals  and  the  gilt  knobs  of 
the  grander  pavilions ;  whilst,  on  the  southern  and 
western  sides,  the  tents  of  the  vulgar  crowded  the 
ground,  disposed  in  dowars,  or  circles,  for  penning 
cattle.  After  many  calculations,  I  estimated  the 
number  to  be  not  less  that  50,000,  of  all  ages  and 
sexes.” 

After  the  sermon  on  Arafat,  which  Burton  de¬ 
scribes  in  the  same  manner  as  Burckhardt,  the  for¬ 
mer  gives  an  account  of  the  subsequent  ceremony  of 


82 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  stoning  the  Great  Devil  ”  near  the  village  o I 
Mima :  “The  Shaytan  el-Kabir”  is  a  dwarf  but¬ 
tress  of  rude  masonry,  about  eight  feet  high  by  two; 
and  a  half  broad,  placed  against  a  rough  wall  of 
stones,  at  the  Meccan  entrance  to  Muna.  As  the 
ceremony  of  “  Ramy,”  or  Lapidation,  must  be  per¬ 
formed  on  the  first  day  by  all  pilgrims  between  sun¬ 
rise  and  sunset,  and  as  the  fiend  was  malicious 
enough  to  appear  in  a  rugged  pass,  the  crowd  makes 
the  place  dangerous.  On  one  side  of  the  road, 
which  is  not  forty  feet  broad,  stood  a  row  of  shops 
belonging  principally  to  barbers.  On  the  other  side 
is  the  rugged  wall  of  the  pillar,  with  a  chevaux  de 
frise  of  Bedouins  and  naked  boys.  The  narrow 
space  was  crowded  with  pilgrims,  all  struggling  like 
drowning  men  to  approach  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
Devil  ; — it  would  have  been  easy  to  run  over  the 
heads  of  the  mass.  Amongst  them  were  horsemen 
with  rearing  chargers.  Bedouins  on  wild  camels, 
and  grandees  on  mules  and  asses,  with  outrunners, 
were  breaking  a  way  by  assault  and  battery.  I  had 
read  Ali  Bey’s  self-felicitations  upon  escaping  this 
place  with  “  only  two  wounds  in  the  left  leg,”  and 
had  duly  provided  myself  with  a  hidden  dagger. 
The  precaution  was  not  useless.  Scarcely  had  my 
donkey  entered  the  crowd  than  he  was  overthrown 
by  a  dromedary,  and  I  found  myself  under  the 
stamping  and  roaring  beast’s  stomach.  By  a  judi¬ 
cious  use  of  the  knife,  I  avoided  being  trampled 
upon,  and  lost  no  time  in  escaping  from  a  place  so 
ignobly  dangerous.  Finding  an  opening  at  last,  we 
approached  within  about  five  cubits  of  the  place. 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  83 


and  holding  each  stone  between  the  thumb  and  fore¬ 
finger  of  the  ring  hand,  cast  it  at  the  pillar,  exclaim¬ 
ing  :  £  In  the  name  of  Allah,  and  Allah  is  Almighty, 
I  do  this  in  hatred  of  the  Fiend  and  to  his  shame.’ 
The  seven  stones  being  duly  thrown,  we  retired,  and 
entering  the  barber’s  booth,  took  our  places  upon  one 
of  the  earthern  benches  around  it.  This  was  the 
time  to  remove  the  ihrarn  or  pilgrim’s  garb,  and  to 
return  to  ihlal,  the  normal  state  of  El  Islam.  The 
barber  shaved  our  heads,  and,  after  trimming  our 
beards  and  cutting  our  nails,  made  us  repeat  these 
words :  “  I  purpose  loosening  my  ihrarn  according 
to  the  practice  of  the  Prophet,  whom  may  Allah 
bless  and  preserve  !  0  Allah,  make  unto  me  in  every 
hair,  a  light,  a  purity,  and  a  generous  reward !  In 
the  name  of  Allah,  and  Allah  is  Almighty !  ”  At 
the  conclusion  of  his  labor  the  barber  politely  ad¬ 
dressed  to  us  a  u  Naiman  ” — Pleasure  to  you  !  To 
which  we  as  ceremoniously  replied,  “  Allah  give 
thee  pleasure  !  ” 

We  will  conclude  these  quotations  from  Burton’s 
narrative  with  his  description  of  a  sermon  in  the 
great  mosque  of  Mecca.  “After  returning  to  the 
city  from  the  sacrifice  of  sheep  in  the  valley  of  Muna, 
we  bathed,  and  when  noon  drew  nigh  we  repaired 
to  the  Haram  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  ser¬ 
mon.  Descending  to  the  cloisters  below  the  Bab  el- 
Ziyadah,  I  stood  wonderstruck  by  the  scene  before 
me.  The  vast  quadrangle  was  crowded  with  wor¬ 
shippers  sitting  in  long  rows,  and  everywhere  facing 
the  central  black  tower :  the  showy  colors  of  their 
dresses  were  not  to  be  surpassed  by  a  garden  of  the 


84 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


most  brilliant  flowers,  and  such  diversity  of  detail 
would  probably  not  be  seen  massed  together  in  any 
other  building  upon  earth.  The  women,  a  dull  and 
sombre-looking  group,  sat  apart  in  their  peculiar 
place.  The  Pasha  stood  on  the  roof  of  Zem  Zem, 
surrounded  by  guards  in  Nizam  uniform.  Where 
the  principal  ulema  stationed  themselves  the  crowd 
was  thicker  ;  and  in  the  more  auspicious  spots  naught 
was  to  be  seen  but  a  pavement  of  heads  and  shoul¬ 
ders.  Nothing  seemed  to  move  but  a  few  dervishes, 
who,  censer  in  hand,  sidled  through  the  rows  and 
received  the  unsolicited  alms  of  the  faithful.  Appa¬ 
rently  in  the  midst,  and  raised  above  the  crowd  by 
the  tall,  pointed  pulpit,  whose  gilt  spire  flamed  in 
the  sun,  sat  the  preacher,  an  old  man  with  snowy 
beard.  The  style  of  head-dress  called  “  taylasan  ” 
covered  his  turban,  which  was  white  as  his  robes, 
and  a  short  staff  supported  his  left  hand.  Presently 
lie  arose,  took  the  staff  in  his  right  hand,  pronounced 
a  few  inaudible  words,  and  sat  down  again  on  one  of 
the  lower  steps,  whilst  a  Muezzin,  at  the  foot  of  the 
pulpit,  recited  the  call  to  sermon.  Then  the  old  man 
stood  up  and  began  to  preach.  As  the  majestic  figure 
began  to  exert  itself  there  was  a  deep  silence.  Pres¬ 
ently  a  general  “  Amin  ”  was  intoned  by  the  crowd 
at  the  conclusion  of  some  long  sentence.  And  at  last, 
towards  the  end  of  the  sermon,  every  third  or  fourth 
word  was  followed  by  the  simultaneous  rise  and  fall 
of  thousands  of  voices. 

“  I  have  seen  the  religious  ceremonies  of  many 
lands,  but  never — nowhere — aught  so  solemn,  so  im¬ 
pressive  as  this  spectacle.” 


COSTUME  OF  PILGRIMS  TO  MECCA 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  MEDINA  AND  MECCA.  85 


Finding  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  under¬ 
take  the  journey  across  Central  Arabia,  both  for 
lack  of  time  and  the  menacing  attitude  of  the  Desert 
tribes,  Burton  left  Mecca  for  Djidda,  at  the  end  of 
September.  Starting  in  the  afternoon,  the  chance 
caravan  of  returning  pilgrims  reached,  about  mid¬ 
night,  a  mass  of  huts  called  El  Hadda,  which  is  the 
usual  half-way  halting  place.  It  is  maintained  solely 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  travellers  with  coffee 
and  water.  Here  the  country  slopes  gradually  to¬ 
wards  the  sea,  the  hills  recede,  and  every  feature  de¬ 
notes  departure  from  the  upland  plateau  of  Mecca. 
After  reaching  here,  and  at-  some  solitary  coffee¬ 
houses  further  on  the  way,  the  pilgrims  reached  Djid¬ 
da  safely  at  eight  in  the  morning. 

From  this  place  Burton  took  passage  on  a  steamer 
for  Suez,  and  returned  to  Cairo,  but  without  the 
Meccan  boy,  Mohammed,  who  began  to  have  a  sus¬ 
picion  of  his  true  character,  after  seeing  him  in  com¬ 
pany  with  some  English  officers,  and  who  left  him 
before  embarking. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


PALGRAVE’S  TRAVELS  IN  CENTRAL  ARABIA  I  FROM  PAL* 

ESTINE  TO  THE  DJOWF. 

MR.  WILLIAM  GIFFORD  PALGRAVE,  son 
of  Sir  Francis  Palgrave,  the  historian,  per¬ 
formed,  in  1862-3,  a  journey  in  Arabia,  which  gives 
us  the  first  clear  and  full  account  of  the  interior 
of  the  country,  including  the  great  Wahabee  state 
of  Nedjed,  the  early  home  of  Arabian  poetry  and 
also  of  the  famous  Arabian  breed  of  horses.  Mr. 
Palgrave’s  qualifications  for  the  undertaking  were 
in  some  respects  superior  to  those  of  either  Burck- 
liardt  or  Burton.  To  a  high  degree  of  general 
culture  and  a  vigorous  and  picturesque  style  as  a 
writer,  he  added  a  knowledge  of  the  Arabic  lan¬ 
guage  and  literature  equal  to  that  of  any  native 
scholar :  he  spoke  the  language  as  well  as  his 
mother  tongue;  his  features  were  sufficiently  Ori¬ 
ental  to  disarm  suspicion,  and  years  of  residence 
in  the  East  had  rendered  him  entirely  familiar  with 
the  habits  of  the  people  and  even  with  all  those  mi¬ 
nor  forms  of  etiquette  which  are  so  rarely  acquired 
by  a  stranger.  His  narrative,  therefore,  is  as  admir¬ 
able  and  satisfactory  in  its  character  as  the  fields  he 
traversed  were  new  and  fascinating.  It  throws,  in¬ 
deed,  so  much  indirect  light  upon  the  experiences  of 
all  his  predecessors,  and  is  so  much  richer  in  its 


PA L G EA  VE'S  TEA  VELS. 


87 


illustrations  of  Arab  life  and  character,  that  no  biief 
summary  of  its  contents  can  do  justice  to  its  impor¬ 
tance. 

Of  the  first  stage  of  the  journey,  from  Gaza  on  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  little  town  of  Ma’an,  which 
lies  on  the  route  of  the  caravans  from  Damascus  to 


WILLIAM  GIFFORD  PALGRAVE. 


Mecca,  a  short  distance  to  the  northeast  of  Petra, 

on  the  boundary  between  the  coun¬ 
try  of  Moab  and  E  lorn,  Palgrave  gives  us  no  account. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  the  comparatively  brief  distance 
traversed,  it  must  have  been  both  laborious  and  dan¬ 
gerous.  His  narrative  commences  as  follows,  at  the 
moment  of  his  departure  from  Ma’an  : 


and  thus  nearly 


88 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  Once  for  all  let  us  attempt  to  acquire  a  fairly 
correct  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  Arabi¬ 
an  Peninsula.  With  its  coasts  we  are  already  in 
great  measure  acquainted ;  several  of  its  maritime 
provinces  have  been,  if  not  thoroughly,  at  least  suf¬ 
ficiently,  explored ;  Yemen  and  Hejaz,  Mecca  and 
Medina,  are  no  longer  mysteries  to  us,  nor  are  we 
wholly  without  information  on  the  districts  of  Ha- 
dram  aut  and  Oman.  But  of  the  interior  of  the  vast 
region,  of  its  plains  and  mountains,  its  tribes  and 
cities,  of  its  governments  and  institutions,  of  its  in¬ 
habitants,  their  ways  and  customs,  of  their  social 
condition,  how  far  advanced  in  civilization  or  sunk 
in  barbarism,  what  do  we  as  yet  really  know,  save 
from  accounts  necessarily  wanting  in  fullness  and 
precision?  It  is  time  to  fill  up  this  blank  in  the 
map  of  Asia,  and  this,  at  whatever  risks,  we  will  now 
endeavor ;  either  the  land  before  us  shall  be  our 
tomb,  or  we  will  traverse  it  in  its  fullest  breadth, 
and  know  what  it  contains  from  shore  to  shore. 
Vestigia  nulla  r  dr  or  sum  V 

“  Such  were  my  thoughts,  and  such,  more  or  less, 
I  should  suppose,. those  of  my  companion,  when  we 
found  ourselves  at  fall  of  night  without  the  eastern 
gate  of  Ma’an,  while  the  Arabs,  our  guides  and  fel¬ 
low-travellers,  filled  their  water-skins  from  a  gush¬ 
ing  source  hard  by  the  town  walls,  and  adjusted  the 
saddles  and  the  burdens  of  their  camels,  in  prepara¬ 
tion  for  the  long  journey  that  lay  before  us  and 
them.  It  was  the  evening  of  the  16th  of  June,  1862  ; 
the  largest  stars  were  already  visible  in  the  deep  blue 
depths  of  a  cloudless  sky,  while  the  crescent  moon, 


PALGRA  VE'S  TRAVELS. 


89 


high  to  the  west,  shone  as  she  shines  in  those  heav¬ 
ens,  and  promised  us  assistance  for  some  hours  of 
onr  night  march.  We  were  soon  mounted  on  onr 
meagre  long-necked  beasts,  ‘  as  if,’  according  to  the 
expression  of  an  Arab  poet,  ‘  we  and  onr  men  were  at 
mast-heads,’  and  now  we  set  our  faces  to  the  east. 
Behind  us  lay,  in  a  mass  of  dark  outline,  the  walls 
and  castle  of  Ma’an,  its  houses  and  gardens,  and  far¬ 
ther  back  in  the  distance  the  high  and  barren  range 
of  the  Sheraa’  mountains,  merging  into  the  coast 
chain  of  He jaz.  Before  and  around  us  extended  a 
wide  and  level  plain,  blackened  over  with  countless 
pebbles  of  basalt  and  flint,  except  where  the  moon¬ 
beams  gleamed  white  on  little  intervening  patches  of 
clear  sand,  or  on  yellowish  streaks  of  withered  grass, 
the  scanty  product  of  the  winter  rains,  and  dried  now 
into  hay.  Over  all  a  deep  silence,  which  even  our 
Arab  companions  seemed  fearful  of  breaking  ;  when 
they  spoke  it  was  in  a  half  whisper  and  in  a  few 
words,  wdiile  the  noiseless  tread  of  our  camels  sped 
stealthily  but  rapidly  through  the  gloom,  without  dis¬ 
turbing  its  stillness. 

“  Some  precaution  was  not  indeed  wholly  out  of 
place,  for  that  stage  of  the  journey  on  which  we  were 
now  entering  was  anything  but  safe.  We  were 
bound  for  the  Djowf,  the  nearest  inhabited  district 
of  Central  Arabia,  its  outlying  station,  in  fact.  Now 
the  intervening  tract  offered  for  the  most  part  the 
double  danger  of  robbers  and  of  thirst,  of  marauding 
bands  and  of  the  summer  season.  The  distance  it¬ 
self  to  be  traversed  was  near  two  hundred  miles  in  a 


90 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


straight  line,  and  unavoidable  circumstances  were 
likely  to  render  it  much  longer.” 

Palgrave’s  companion  was  a  native  Syrian,  named 
Barakat, — a  man  on  whom  he  could  fully  rely. 
Hardy,  young,  and  enterprising,  he  belonged  to  a 
locality  whose  inhabitants  are  accustomed  to  danger 
But  the  Bedouins  who  furnished  the  camels,  and 
acted  as  guides,  were  of  another  class.  They  were 
three  in  number,  Salim,  their  leader,  a  member  of  a 
powerful  family  of  the  Howeytat  tribe,  but  outlawed 
for  pillage  and  murder,  and  two  men,  Alee  and 
Djordee,  utter  barbarians  in  appearance  no  less 
than  in  character.  Even  Salim  advised  the  trav¬ 
ellers  to  avoid  all  familiarities  with  the  latter. 

“  Myself  and  my  companion,”  says  Palgrave, 
“  were  dressed  like  ordinary  class  travellers  of  inner 
Syria  ;  an  equipment  in  which  we  had  already  made 
our  way  from  Gaza  on  the  sea-coast  to  Ma’an  with¬ 
out  much  remark  or  unseasonable  questioning  from 
those  whom  we  fell  in  with,  while  we  traversed  a 
country  so  often  described  already  by  Pococke, 
Laborde,  and  downwards,  under  the  name  of  Arabia 
Petrse,  that  it  would  be  superfluous  for  me  to  enter 
into  any  new  account  of  it  in  the  present  work. 
Our  dress  then  consisted  partly  of  a  long  stout 
blouse  of  Egyptian  hemp,  under  which,  unlike  our 
Bedouin  fellow-travellers,  we  indulged  in  the  luxury 
of  the  loose  cotton  drawers  common  in  the  East, 
while  our  colored  head-kerchiefs,  though  simple 
enough,  were  girt  by  ’akkals  or  head-bands  of  some 
pretension  to  elegance  ;  the  loose-red  leather  boots 
of  the  country  completed  our  toilet. 


PALGRAVE'S  TRAVELS 


91 


“  But  in  the  large  travelling-sacks  at  our  camels’ 
sides  were  contained  suits  of  a  more  elegant  ap¬ 
pearance,  carefully  concealed  from  Bedouin  gaze, 
but  destined  for  appearance  when  we  should  reach 
better  inhabited  and  more  civilized  districts.  This 
reserve  toilet  numbered  articles  like  the  following : 
colored  overdresses,  the  Syrian  combaz,  handker¬ 
chiefs  whose  silk  stripes  relieved  the  plebeian  cotton, 
and  girdles  of  good  material  and  tasteful  coloring ; 
such  clothes  being  absolutely  requisite  to  maintain 
our  assumed  character.  Mine  was  that  of  a  native 
travelling  doctor,  a  quack  if  you  will ;  and  accord¬ 
ingly  a  tolerable  dress  was  indispensable  for  the 
credit  of  my  medical  practice.  My  comrade,  who  in 
a  general  way  passed  for  my  brother-in-law,  ap¬ 
peared  sometimes  as  a  retail  merchaut,  such  as  not 
unfrequently  visit  these  countries,  and  sometimes  as 
pupil  or  associate  in  my  assumed  profession. 

“  Our  pharmacopoeia  consisted  of  a  few  but  well 
selected  and  efficacious  drugs,  inclosed  in  small 
tight-fitting  tin  boxes,  stowed  away  for  the  present  in 
the  ample  recesses  of  our  travelling  bags  ;  about  fifty 
of  these  little  cases  contained  wherewithal  to  kill  or 
cure  half  the  sick  men  of  Arabia.  Medicines  of  a 
liquid  form  had  been  as  much  as  possible  omitted, 
not  only  from  the  difficulty  of  ensuring  them  a  safe 
transport  amid  so  rough  a  mode  of  journeying,  but 
also  on  account  of  the  rapid  evaporation  unavoid¬ 
able  in  this  dry  and  burning  climate.  In  fact  two 
or  three  small  bottles,  whose  contents  had  seemed 
to  me  of  absolute  necessity,  soon  retained  nothing 
save  their  labels  to  indicate  what  they  had  held,  in 


92 


: RAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


spite  of  air-tight  stoppers  and  double  coverings.  I 
record  this,  because  the  hint  may  be  useful  to  any 
one  who  should  be  inclined  to  embark  in  similar 
guise  on  the  same  adventures. 

“  Some  other  objects  requisite  in  medical  practice, 
two  or  three  European  books  for  my  own  private 
use,  and  kept  carefully  secret  from  Arab  curiosity, 
with  a  couple  of  Esculapian  treatises  in  good  Arabic, 
intended  for  professional  ostentation,  completed  this 
part  of  our  fitting-out.  But  besides  these,  an  ample 
provision  of  cloth  handkerchiefs,  glass  necklaces, 
pipe-bowls,  and  the  like,  for  sale  in  whatever  locali¬ 
ties  might  not  offer  sufficient  facility  for  the  healing 
art,  filled  up  our  saddle-bags  well  nigh  to  bursting. 
Last,  but  not  least,  two  large  sacks  of  coffee,  the 
sheet-anchor  and  main  hope  of  our  commerce, 
formed  alone  a  sufficient  load  for  a  vigorous  camel.” 

The  first  days  of  travel  were  a  monotony  of  heat 
and  desolation.  The  deceptive  lakes  of  the  mirage 
covered  the  tawny  plain,  and  every  dark  basaltic 
block,  lying  here  and  there  at  random,  was  magni¬ 
fied  into  a  mountain  in  the  heated  atmosphere. 
“  Dreary  land  of  death,  in  which  even  the  face  of 
an  enemy  were  almost  a  relief  amid  such  utter  soli¬ 
tude.  But  for  five  whole  days  the  little  dried-up 
lizard  of  the  plain,  that  looks  as  if  he  had  never  a 
drop  of  moisture  in  his  ugly  body,  and  the  jerboaa,’ 
or  field-rat  of  Arabia,  were  the  only  living  creatures 
to  console  our  view. 

“  It  was  a  march  during  which  we  might  have 
almost  repented  of  our  enterprise,  had  such  a  sen-, 
tirnent  been  any  longer  possible  or  availing.  Day 


PAL  GRAVE'S  TRAVELS. 


93 


after  day  found  us  urging  our  camels  to  tlieir  utmost 
pace,  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  hours  together  out  of  the 
twenty-four,  under  a  well-nigh  vertical  sun,  which 
the  Ethiopians  of  Herodotus  might  reasonably  be 
excused  for  cursing,  with  nothing  either  in  the  land¬ 
scape  around  or  in  the  companions  of  our  way  to 
relieve  for  a  moment  the  eye  or  the  mind.  Then  an 
insufficient  halt  for  rest  or  sleep,  at  most  of  two  or 
three  hours,  soon  interrupted  by  the  oft-repeated 
admonition,  ‘  if  we  linger  here  we  all  die  of  thirst,’ 
sounding  in  our  ears  ;  and  then  to  remount  our 
jaded  beasts  and  push  them  on  through  the  dark 
night,  amid  the  constant  probability  of  attack  and 
plunder  from  roving  marauders.  For  myself,  I  was, 
to  mend  matters,  under  the  depressing  influence  of 
a  tertian  fever  contracted  at  Ma’an,  and  what  be¬ 
tween  weariness  and  low  spirits,  began  to  imagine 
seriously  that  no  waters  remained  before  us  except 
the  waters  of  death  for  us  and  of  oblivion  for  our 
friends.  The  days  wore  by  like  a  delirious  dream, 
till  we  were  often  almost  unconscious  of  the  ground 
we  travelled  over  and  of  the  journey  on  which  we 
were  engaged.  One  only  herb  appeared  at  our  feet 
to  give  some  appearance  of  variety  and  life  ;  it  was 
the  bitter  and  poisonous  colocyntli  of  the  desert. 

“  Our  order  of  road  was  this.  Long  before  dawn 
we  were  on  our  way,  and  paced  it  till  the  sun,  hav¬ 
ing  attained  about  half-way  between  the  horizon 
and  the  zenith,  assigned  the  moment  of  alighting  for 
our  morning  meal.  This  our  Bedouins  always  took 
good  care  should  be  in  some  hollow  or  low  ground, 
for  concealment’s  sake  ;  in  every  other  respect  we 


94 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


had  ample  liberty  of  choice,  for  one  patch  of  black 
pebbles  with  a  little  sand  and  withered  grass  be¬ 
tween  was  just  like  another  ;  shade  or  shelter,  01 
anything  like  them,  was  wholly  out  of  the  question 
in  such  “  nakedness  of  the  land.”  We  then  alighted, 
and  my  companion  and  myself  would  pile  up  the 
baggage  into  a  sort  of  wall,  to  afford  a  half-screen 
from  the  scorching  sun-rays,  and  here  recline  awhile. 
Next  came  the  culinary  preparations,  in  perfect  ac¬ 
cordance  with  our  provisions,  which  were  simple 
enough ;  namely,  a  bag  of  coarse  flour  mixed  with 
salt,  and  a  few  dried  dates ;  there  was  no  third  item 
on  the  bill  of  fare.  We  now  took  a  few  handfuls 
of  flour,  and  one  of  the  Bedouins  kneaded  it  with 
his  unwashed  hands  or  dirty  bit  of  leather,  pouring 
over  it  a  little  of  the  dingy  water  contained  in  the 
skins,  and  then  patted  out  this  exquisite  paste  into 
a  large  round  cake,  about  an  inch  thick,  and  five  or 
six  inches  across.  Meanwhile  another  had  lighted  a 
fire  of  dry  grass,  colocynth  roots,  and  dried  camel’s 
dung,  till  he  had  prepared  a  bed  of  glowing  embers  ; 
among  these  the  cake  was  now  cast,  and  immedi¬ 
ately  covered  up  with  hot  ashes,  and  so  left  for  a 
few  minutes,  then  taken  out,  turned,  and  covered 
again,  till  at  last  half-kneaded,  half-raw,  half-roasted, 
and  burnt  all  round,  it  was  taken  out  to  be  broken 
up  between  the  hungry  band,  and  eaten  scalding 
hot,  before  it  should  cool  into  an  indescribable 
leathery  substance,  capable  of  defying  the  keenest 
appetite.  A  draught  of  dingy  water  was  its  sole  but 
suitable  accompaniment. 

“  The  meal  ended,  we  had  again  without  loss  of 


PALO  RAVE'S  TRAVELS. 


95 


time  to  resume  our  way  from  mirage  to  mirage,  till 
‘  slowly  flaming  over  all,  from  heat  to  heat,  the  day 
decreased,’  and  about  an  hour  before  sunset  we 
would  stagger  off  our  camels  as  best  we  might,  to 
prepare  an  evening  feast  of  precisely  the  same  de¬ 
scription  as  that  of  the  forenoon,  or  more  often,  for 
fear  lest  the  smoke  of  our  fire  should  give  notice 
to  some  distant  rover,  to  content  ourselves  with  dry 
dates,  and  half  an  hour’s  rest  on  the  sand.  At  last 
our  dates,  like  Esop’s  bread-sack,  or  that  of  Beyhas, 
his  Arab  prototype,  came  to  an  end  ;  and  then  our 
supper  was  a  soldier’s  one  ;  what  that  is  my  military 
friends  will  know  ;  but  grit  and  pebbles  excepted, 
there  was  no  bed  in  our  case.  After  which,  to  re¬ 
mount,  and  travel  on  by  moon  or  starlight,  till  a 
little  before  midnight  we  would  like  down  for  just 
enough  sleep  to  tantalize,  not  refresh. 

“  It  was  now  the  22d  of  J une,  and  the  fifth  day 
since  our  departure  from  the  wells  of  Wokba.  The 
water  in  the  skins  had  little  more  to  offer  to  our 
thirst  than  muddy  dregs,  and  as  yet  no  sign  ap¬ 
peared  of  a  fresh  supply.  At  last  about  noon  we 
drew  near  some  hillocks  of  loose  gravel  and  sand¬ 
stone  a  little  on  our  right ;  our  Bedouins  conversed 
together  awhile,  and  then  turned  their  course  and 
ours  in  that  direction.  “  Hold  fast  on  your  camels, 
for  they  are  going  to  be  startled  and  jump  about,’* 
said  Salim  to  us.  Why  the  camels  should  be  startled 
I  could  not  understand;  when  on  crossing  the 
mounds  just  mentioned,  we  suddenly  came  on  five 
or  six  black  tents,  of  the  very  poorest  description, 
pitched  near  some  wells  excavated  in  the  gravelly 


96 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


hollow  below.  The  reason  of  Salim’s  precautionary 
hint  now  became  evident,  for  our  silly  beasts  started 
at  first  sight  of  the  tents,  as  though  they  had  never 
seen  the  like  before,  and  then  scampered  about, 
bounding  friskily  here  and  there,  till  what  between 
their  jolting  (for  a  camel’s  run  much  resembles  that 
of  a  cow)  and  our  own  laughing,  we  could  hardly 
keep  on  their  backs.  However,  thirst  soon  prevailed 
over  timidity,  and  they  left  off  their  pranks  to  ap¬ 
proach  the  well’s  edge,  and  sniff  at  the  water  be¬ 
low.” 

The  inhabitants  of  the  tents  showed  the  ordinary 
curiosity,  but  were  not  unfriendly,  and  the  little 
caravan  rested  there  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
A  further  journey  of  two  days  over  a  region  of 
sand-hills,  with  an  occasional  well,  still  intervened 
before  they  could  reach  Wady  Sirhan — a  long  valley, 
running  directly  to  the  populated  region  of  the 
Djouf.  While  passing  over  this  intermediate  re¬ 
gion,  an  incident  occurred  which  had  well  nigh  put 
a  premature  end  to  the  travels  and  the  travellers  to¬ 
gether.  “  My  readers,  no  less  than  myself,”  says 
Palgrave,  “  must  have  heard  or  read  many  a  story 
of  the  simoom,  or  deadly  wind  of  the  desert,  but 
for  me  I  had  never  yet  met  it  in  full  force ;  and  its 
modified  form,  or  shelook,  to  use  the  Arab  phrase, 
that  is,  the  sirocco  of  the  Syrian  waste,  though  dis¬ 
agreeable  enough,  can  hardly  ever  be  termed  dan¬ 
gerous.  Hence  I  had  been  almost  inclined  to  set 
down  the  tales  told  of  the  strange  phenomena  and 
fatal  effects  of  this  ‘  poisoned  gale,’  in  the  same  ca 
tegory  with  the  moving  pillars  of  sand,  recorded  in 


PALGR  AYE'S  TRAVELS. 


97 


many  works  of  higher  historical  pretensions  than 
“  Thalaba.”  At  those  perambulatory  columns  and 
sand-smothered  caravans  the  Bedouins,  whenever  I 
interrogated  them  on  the  subject,  laughed  outright, 
and  declared  that  bevond  an  occasional  dust  storm, 
similar  to  those  which  any  one  who  has  passed  a 
summer  in  Scinde  can  hardly  fail  to  have  experi¬ 
enced,  nothing  of  the  romantic  kind  just  alluded  to 
occurred  in  Arabia.  But  when  questioned  about  the 
simoom,  they  always  treated  it  as  a  much  more 
serious  matter,  and  such  in  real  earnest  we  now 
found  it. 

“It  was  about  noon,  the  noon  of  a  summer  sol¬ 
stice  in  the  unclouded  Arabian  sky  over  a  scorched 
desert,  when  abrupt  and  burning  gusts  of  wind  be¬ 
gan  to  blow  by  fits  from  the  south,  while  the  op¬ 
pressiveness  of  the  air  increased  every  moment, 
till  my  companion  and  myself  mutually  asked  each 
other  what  this  could  mean,  and  what  was  to  be  its 
result.  We  turned  to  inquire  of  Salim,  but  he  had 
already  wrapped  up  his  face  in  his  mantle,  and, 
bowed  down  and  crouching  on  the  neck  of  his  ca¬ 
mel,  replied  not  a  word.  His  comrades,  the  two 
Sherarat  Bedouins,  had  adopted  a  similar  position, 
and  were  equally  silent.  At  last,  after  repeated 
interrogations,  Salim,  instead  of  replying  directly 
to  our  questioning,  pointed  to  a  small  black  tent, 
providentially  at  no  great  distance  in  front,  and 
said :  ‘  try  to  reach  that,  if  we  can  get  there  we  are 
saved.5  He  added  :  4  take  care  that  your  camels  do 
not  stop  and  lie  down and  then,  giving  his  own 
several  vigorous  blows,  relapsed  into  muffled  silence. 


98 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  We  looked  anxiously  towards  the  tent ;  it  was 
yet  a  hundred  yards  off,  or  more.  Meanwhile  the 
gusts  grew  hotter  and  more  violent,  and  it  was  only 
by  repeated  efforts  that  we  could  urge  our  beasts 
forward.  The  horizon  rapidly  darkened  to  a  deep 
violet  hue,  and  seemed  to  draw  in  like  a  curtain  on 
every  side,  while  at  the  same  time  a  stifling  blast, 
as  though  from  some  enormous  oven  opening  right 
on  our  path,  blew  steadily  under  the  gloom ;  our 
camels  too,  began,  in  spite  of  all  we  could  do,  to 
turn  round  and  round  and  bend  their  knees,  prepar¬ 
ing  to  lie  down.  The  simoom  was  fairly  upon  us. 

“Of  course  we  had  followed  our  Arabs’  example 
by  muffling  our  faces,  and  now  with  blows  and 
kicks  we  forced  the  staggering  animals  onwards  to 
the  only  asylum  within  reach.  So  dark  was  the 
atmosphere,  and  so  burning  the  heat,  that  it 
seemed  that  hell  had  risen  from  the  earth,  or  de¬ 
scended  from  above.  But  we  were  yet  in  time,  and 
at  the  moment  when  the  worst  of  the  concentrated 
poison-blast  was  coming  around,  we  were  already 
prostrate,  one  and  all,  within  the  tent,  with  our 
heads  well  wrapped  up,  almost  suffocated,  indeed, 
but  safe ;  while  our  camels  lay  without  like  dead, 
their  long  necks  stretched  out  on  the  sand,  await¬ 
ing  the  passing  of  the  gale. 

“  On  our  first  arrival  the  tent  contained  a  solitary 
Bedouin  woman,  whose  husband  was  away  with  his 
camels  in  the  Wady  Sirhan.  When  she  saw  five 
handsome  men  like  us,  rush  thus  suddenly  into  her 
dwelling  without  a  word  of  leave  or  salutation,  she 
very  properly  set  up  a  scream  to  the  tune  of  the 


PALGRAVE'S  TRAVELS . 


99 


Four  crown  pleas,  murder,  arson,  robbery,  and  I 
know  not  wliat  else.  Salim  hastened  to  reassure 
her  by  calling  out,  ‘  friends,’  and  without  more 
words  threw  himself  Hat  on  the  ground.  All  fol¬ 
lowed  his  example  in  silence. 

“We  remained  thus  for  about  ten  minutes,  dur¬ 
ing  which  a  still  heat  like  that  of  red-hot  iron 
slowly  passing  over  us  was  alone  to  be  felt.  Then 
the  tent  walls  began  again  to  flap  in  the  returning 
gusts,  and  announced  that  the  worst  of  the  simoorn 
had  gone  by.  We  got  up,  half  dead  with  exhaus¬ 
tion,  and  unmufiled  our  faces.  My  comrades  ap¬ 
peared  more  like  corpses  than  living  men,  and  so,  I 
suppose,  did  I.  However,  I  could  not  forbear,  in 
spite  of  warnings,  to  step  out  and  look  at  the  cam¬ 
els ;  they  were  still  lying  flat  as  though  they  had 
been  shot.  The  air  was  yet  darkish,  but  before 
long  it  brightened  up  to  its  usual  dazzling  clear¬ 
ness.  During  the  whole  time  that  the  simoom  last¬ 
ed,  the  atmosphere  was  entirely  free  from  sand  or 
dust,  so  that  I  hardly  know  how  to  account  for  its 
singular  obscurity.” 

Late  in  the  evening  we  continued  our  way,  and 
next  day  early  entered  Wady  Sirhan,  where  the 
character  of  our  journey  underwent  a  considerable 
modification.  For  the  northerly  Arabian  Desert, 
which  we  are  now  traversing,  offers,  in  spite  of  all 
its  dreariness,  some  spots  of  comparatively  better 
cast,  where  water  is  less  scanty  and  vegetation  less 
niggard.  These  spots  are  the  favorite  resorts  of 
Bedouins,  and  serve,  too,  to  direct  the  ordinary 
routes  of  whatever  travellers,  trade  led  or  from 


100 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


other  motives,  may  venture  on  this  wilderness. 
These  oases,  if  indeed  they  deserve  the  name,  are 
formed  by  a  slight  depression  in  the  sui  rounding 
desert  surface,  and  take  at  times  the  form  of  a  long 
valley,  or  of  an  oblong  patch,  where  rock  and  peb¬ 
ble  give  place  to  a  light  soil  more  or  less  intei  mixed 
with  sand,  and  concealing  under  its  surface  a  toler¬ 
able  supply  of  moisture  at  no  great  distance  below 
ground.  Here,  in  consequence,  bushes  and  lieibs 
spring  up,  and  grass,  if  not  green  all  the  ^ear 
round,  is  at  least  of  somewhat  longer  duration  than 
elsewhere ;  certain  fruit -bearing  plants  of  a  nature 
to  suffice  for  meagre  Bedouin  existence,  grow  here 
spontaneously ;  in  a  word,  man  and  beast  find  not 
exactly  comfortable  accommodation,  but  the  abso¬ 
lutely  needful  supply.  Such  a  spot  is  Wady  Sir- 
han,  literally,  4  the  Yalley  of  the  Wolf. 

They  entered  Wady  Sirhan  on  the  21st  of  June. 
“  Passing  tent  after  tent,  and  leaving  behind  us  ma¬ 
ny  a  tattered  Bedouin  and  grazing  camel,  Salim  at 
last  indicated  to  us  a  group  of  habitations,  two  or 
three  of  which  seemed  of  somewhat  more  ample  di¬ 
mensions  than  the  rest,  and  informed  us  that  our 
supper  that  night  (for  the  afternoon  was  already  on 
the  decline)  would  be  at  the  cost  of  these  dwellings. 
*  Ajaweed,’  i.  e.,  ‘  generous  fellows,’  he  subjoined,  to 
encourage  us  by  the  prospect  of  a  handsome  recep¬ 
tion.  Of  course  we  could  only  defer  to  his  better 
judgment ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  alongside  of 
the  black  goat’s  hair  coverings  where  lodged  our  in¬ 
tended  hosts. 

“  The  chief  or  cliiefiet,  for  such  he  was,  came  out, 


PALGEAVE’S  TRAVE'S. 


101 


and  interchanged  a  few  words  of  masonic  laconism 
with  Salim.  The  latter  then  came  up  to  ns,  where 
we  remained  halted  in  expectation,  led  our  camels 
to  a  little  distance  from  the  tents,  made  them  kneel 
down,  helped  us  to  disburden  them,  and  while  we 
installed  ourselves  on  a  sandy  slope  opposite  to  the 
abodes  of  the  tribe,  recommended  us  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  after  our  baggage,  since  there  might  be 
pickers  and  stealers  among  our  hosts,  for  all  *  Aja- 
weed  ’  as  they  were.  Disagreeable  news  ;  for  c  Aja- 
weed  5  in  an  Arab  mouth  corresponds  the  nearest 
possible  to  our  English  ‘  gentlemen.’  Now,  if  the 
gentlemen  were  thieves,  what  must  the  blackguards 
be  ?  We  put  a  good  face  on  it,  and  then  seated  our¬ 
selves  in  dignified  gravity  on  the  sand  awaiting  the 
further  results  of  our  guide’s  negotiations. 

“  For  some  time  we  remained  undisturbed,  though 
not  unnoticed ;  a  group  of  Arabs  had  collected  round 
our  companions  at  the  tent  door,  and  were  engaged 
in  getting  from  them  all  possible  information,  espe¬ 
cially  about  us  and  our  baggage,  which  last  was  an 
object  of  much  curiosity,  not  to  say  cupidity.  Next 
came  our  turn.  The  chief,  his  family,  (women  ex¬ 
cepted,)  his  intimate  followers,  and  some  twenty 
others,  young  and  old,  boys  and  men,  came  up,  and 
after  a  brief  salutation,  Bedouinwise,  seated  them¬ 
selves  in  a  semicircle  before  us.  Every  man  held  a 
short  crooked  stick  for  camel-driving  in  his  hand,  to 
gesticulate  with  when  speaking,  or  to  play  with  in 
the  intervals  of  conversation,  while  the  younger  mem¬ 
bers  of  society,  less  prompt  in  discourse,  politely 
employed  their  leisure  in  staring  at  us,  or  in  picking 


102 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


up  dried  pellets  of  dirt  from  the  sand  and  tossing 
them  about.” 

“‘What  are  you?  what  is  your  business?’  so 
runs  the  ordinary  and  unprefaced  opening  of  the  dis¬ 
course.  To  which  we  answer,  ‘  Physicians  from  Da¬ 
mascus,  and  our  business  is  whatsoever  God  may 
put  in  our  way.’  The  next  question  will  be  about 
the  baggage;  some  one  pokes  it  with  a  stick,  to 
draw  attention  to  it,  and  says,  ‘  What  is  this  ?  have 
you  any  little  object  to  sell  us  ?  ’  ” 

W  e  fight  shy  of  selling  :  to  open  out  our  wares 
and  chattels  in  full  air,  on  the  sand,  and  amid  a 
crowd  whose  appearance  and  circumstances  offer 
but  a  poor  guarantee  for  the  exact  observance  of  the 
eighth  commandment,  would  be  hardly  prudent  or 
worth  our  while.  After  several  fruitless  trials  they 
desist  from  their  request.  Another,  who  is  troubled 
by  some  bodily  infirmity,  for  which  all  the  united 
faculties  of  London  and  Paris  might  prescribe  in 
vain,  a  withered  hand,  for  instance,  or  stone-blind 
of  an  eye,  asks  for  medicine,  which  no  sooner  ap¬ 
plied  shall,  in  his  expectation,  suddenly  restore  him 
to  perfect  health  and  corporal  integrity.  But  I  had 
been  already  forewarned  that  to  doctor  a  Bedouin, 
even  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  or  a 
camel,  is  pretty  much  the  same  thing,  and  with 
about  an  equal  chance  of  success  or  advantage.  I 
politely  decline.  He  insists ;  I  turn  him  off  with  a 
joke. 

“  So  you  laugh  at  us,  O  you  inhabitants  of  towns. 
We  are  Bedouins,  we  do  not  know  your  customs,” 
replies  he,  in  a  whining  tone ;  while  the  boys  grin 


PALGRAVE'S  TRAVELS. 


103 


unconscionably  at  the  discomfiture  of  their  tribes¬ 
man. 

“  1  Ya  woleyd,’  or  young  fellow,  (for  so  they  style 
every  human  male  from  eight  to  eighty  without  dis¬ 
tinction,)  £  will  you  not  fill  my  pipe  ?’  says  one,  who 
has  observed  that  mine  was  not  idle,  and  who,  though 
well  provided  with  a  good  stock  of  dry  tobacco  tied 
up  in  a  rag  at  his  greasy  waist-belt,  thinks  the  mo¬ 
ment  a  fair  opportunity  for  a  little  begging,  since 
neither  medicine  nor  merchandise  is  to  be  had. 

“  But  Salim,  seated  amid  the  circle,  makes  me  a 
sign  not  to  comply.  Accordingly  I  evade  the  de¬ 
mand.  However,  my  petitioner  goes  on  begging, 
and  is  imitated  by  two  or  three  others,  each  of  whom 
thrusts  forward  (a  true  Irish  hint)  a  bit  of  marrow¬ 
bone  with  a  hole  drilled  in  one  side  to  act  for  a  pipe, 
or  a  porous  stone,  not  uncommon  throughout  the 
desert,  clumsily  fashioned  into  a  smoking  apparatus, 
a  sort  of  primitive  meerschaum. 

“  As  they  grow  rude,  I  pretend  to  become  angry, 
thus  to  cut  the  matter  short.  ‘  We  are  your  guests, 
O  you  Bedouins  ;  are  you  not  ashamed  to  beg  of  us  T 
6  Never  mind,  excuse  us  ;  those  are  ignorant  fellows, 
ill-bred  clowns,’  etc.,  interposes  one  close  by  the 
chief’s  side  ;  and  whose  dress  is  in  somewhat  better 
condition  than  that  of  the  other  half  and  three-quar¬ 
ter  naked  individuals  who  complete  the  assembly. 

“  £  Will  you  not  people  the  pipe  for  your  little  bro¬ 
ther!’  subjoins  the  chief  himself, producing  an  empty 
one  with  a  modest  air.  Bedouin  language,  like  that 
of  most  Orientals,  abounds  with  not  ungraceful  im¬ 
agery,  and  accordingly  ‘  people  ’  here  means  ‘  fill.’ 


104 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Salim  gives  me  a  wink  of  compliance  ;  I  take  out  a 
handful  of  tobacco,  and  put  it  on  his  long  shirt¬ 
sleeve,  which  he  knots  over  it,  and  looks  uncommon¬ 
ly  well  pleased.  At  any  rate  they  are  easily  satisfied, 
these  Bedouins. 

“  The  night  air  in  these  wilds  is  life  and  health  it¬ 
self.  We  sleep  soundly,  unliarassed  by  the  antici¬ 
pation  of  an  early  summons  to  march  next  morning, 
for  both  men  and  beasts  have  alike  need  of  a  full 
day’s  repose.  When  the  sun  has  risen  we  are  invited 
to  enter  the  chief’s  tent  and  to  bring  our  baggage 
under  its  shelter.  A  main  object  of  our  entertainer, 
in  proposing  this  move,  is  to  try  whether  he  cannot 
render  our  visit  someway  profitable  to  himself,  by 
present  or  purchase.  Whatever  politeness  he  can 
muster  is  accordingly  brought  into  play,  and  a  large 
bowl  of  fresh  camel’s  milk,  an  excellent  beverage, 
now  appears  on  the  stage.  I  leave  to  chemical  ana¬ 
lysis  to  decide  why  this  milk  will  not  furnish  butter, 
for  such  is  the  fact,  and  content  myself  with  bearing 
witness  to  its  very  nutritious  and  agreeable  qualities. 

“  The  day  passes  on.  About  noon  our  host  natu¬ 
rally  enough  supposes  us  hungry,  and  accordingly  a 
new  dish  is  brought  in  :  it  looks  much  like  a  bowl  full 
of  coarse  red  paste,  or  bran  mixed  with  ochre.  This 
is  Samh,  a  main  article  of  subsistence  to  the  Bedou¬ 
ins  of  Northern  Arabia.  Throughout  this  part  of 
the  desert  grows  a  small  herbaceous  and  tufted 
plant,  with  juicy  stalks  and  a  little  ovate  yellow -tint¬ 
ed  leaf ;  the  flowers  are  of  a  brighter  yellow,  with 
many  stamens  and  pistils.  When  the  blossoms  fall 
off,  there  remains  in  place  of  each  a  four-leaved  cap- 


PALO  HAVE'S  TRAVELS. 


105 


Buie  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  pea,  and  this, 
when  ripe,  opens  to  show  a  mass  of  minute  reddish 
seeds,  resembling  grit  in  feel  and  appearance,  but 
farinaceous  in  substance.  The  ripening  season  is  in 
July,  when  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  all  are  out 
to  collect  the  unsown  and  untoiled-for  harvest. 

“  On  the  27th  of  the  month  we  passed  with  some 
difficulty  a  series  of  abrupt  sand-hills  that  close  in 
the  direct  course  of  Wady  Sirhan.  Here,  for  the  first 
time,  we  saw  the  ghada,  a  shrub  almost  character¬ 
istic,  from  its  very  frequency,  of  the  Arabian  Penin¬ 
sula,  and  often  alluded  to  by  its  poets.  It  is  of  the 
genus  Euphorbia ,  with  a  woody  stem,  often  five  or 
six  feet  in  height,  and  innumerable  round  green 
twigs,  very  slender  and  flexible,  forming  a  large 
feathery  tuft,  not  ungraceful  to  the  eye,  while  it 
affords  some  kind  of  shelter  to  the  traveller  and 
food  to  his  camels.  These  last  are  passionately  fond 
of  ghada,  and  will  continually  turn  right  out  of  their 
way,  in  spite  of  blows  and  kicks,  to  crop  a  mouthful 
of  it,  and  then  swing  back  their  long  necks  into  the 
former  direction,  ready  to  repeat  the  same  manoeuvre 
at  the  next  bush,  as  though  they  had  never  received 
a  beating  for  their  past  voracity. 

“  I  have,  while  in  England,  heard  and  read  more 
than  once  of  the  ‘  docile  camel.’  If  ‘  docile  ’  means 
stupid,  well  and  good  ;  in  such  a  case  the  camel  is 
the  very  model  of  docility.  But  if  the  epithet  is 
'  intended  to  designate  an  animal  that  takes  an 
interest  in  its  rider  so  far  as  a  beast  can,  that  in 
some  wav  understands  his  intentions  or  shares  them 
in  a  subordinate  fashion,  that  obeys  from  a  sort  Oj 


106 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


submissive  or  half  fellow-feeling  with  his  master, 
like  the  horse  and  elephant,  then  I  say  that  the 
camel  is  by  no  means  docile,  very  much  the  con¬ 
trary  ;  he  takes  no  heed  of  his  rider,  pays  no  atten¬ 
tion  whether  he  be  on  his  back  or  not,  walks  straight 
on  when  once  set  a-going,  merely  because  he  is  too 
stupid  to  turn  aside  ;  and  then,  should  some  tempt¬ 
ing  thorn  or  green  branch  allure  him  out  of  the 
path,  continues  to  walk  on  in  this  new  direction 
simply  because  he  is  too  dull  to  turn  back  into  the 
right  road.  His  only  care  is  to  cross  as  much  pas¬ 
ture  as  he  conveniently  can  while  pacing  mechanic¬ 
ally  onwards ;  and  for  effecting  this,  his  long,  flex¬ 
ible  neck  sets  him  at  great  advantage,  and  a  hard 
blow  or  a  downright  kick  alone  has  any  influence  on 
him  whether  to  direct  or  impel.  He  will  never  at¬ 
tempt  to  throw  you  off  his  back,  such  a  trick  being 
far  beyond  his  limited  comprehension  ;  but  if  you 
fall  off,  he  will  never  dream  of  stopping  for  you,  and 
walks  on  just  the  same,  grazing  while  he  goes,  with¬ 
out  knowing  or  caring  an  atom  what  has  become  of 
you.  If  turned  loose,  it  is  a  thousand  to  one  that 
he  will  never  find  his  way  back  to  his  accustomed 
home  or  pasture,  and  the  first  comer  who  picks  him 
up  will  have  no  particular  shyness  to  get  over  ;  Jack 
or  Tom  is  all  the  same  to  him,  and  the  loss  of  his 
old  master,  and  of  his  own  kith  and  kin,  gives  him 
no  regret,  and  occasions  no  endeavor  to  find  them 
again.” 

On  coming  in  sight  of  the  mountains  of  Djowf, 
the  travellers  were  obliged  to  halt  for  two  days  at 
an  encampment  of  the  Sherarat  Arabs,  because 


PALGRAVE’S  TRAVELS. 


107 


Salim  could  not  enter  the  Djowf  with  them  in  per¬ 
son,  on  account  of  a  murder  which  he  had  com¬ 
mitted  there.  He  was  therefore  obliged  to  procure 
them  another  guide,  capable  of  conducting  them 
safely  the  remainder  of  the  journey.  After  much 
search  and  discussion,  Salim  ended  by  finding  a 
good-natured,  but  somewhat  timid,  individual,  who 
undertook  their  guidance  to  the  Djowf. 

Journeying  one  whole  day  and  night  over  an  open 
plateau,  where  they  saw  a  large  troop  of  ostriches, 
they  mounted  again  on  the  30th,  by  the  light  of 
the  morning  star,  anxious  to  enter  the  Djowf  before 
the  intense  heat  of  noon  should  come  on  ;  “  but  we 
had  yet  a  long  way  to  go,  and  our  track  followed 
endless  windings  among  low  hills  and  stony  ledges, 
without  any  symptom  of  approach  to  cultivated  re¬ 
gions.  At  last  the  slopes  grew  greener,  and  a  small 
knot  of  houses,  with  traces  of  tillage  close  by,  ap¬ 
peared.  It  was  the  little  village  of  Djoon,  the  most 
westerly  appendage  of  Djowf  itself.  I  counted  be¬ 
tween  twenty  and  thirty  houses.  We  next  entered 
a  long  and  narrow  pass,  whose  precipitous  banks 
shut  in  the  view  on  either  side.  Suddenly  several 
horsemen  appeared  on  the  opposite  cliff,  and  one  of 
them,  a  handsome  youth,  with  long,  curling  hair, 
well  armed  and  well  mounted,  (we  shall  make  hi  4 
more  special  acquaintance  in  the  next  chapter,) 
called  out  to  our  guide  to  halt,  and  answer  in  his 
own  behalf  and  ours.  This  Suleyman  did,  not  with¬ 
out  those  marks  of  timidity  in  his  voice  and  gesture 
which  a  Bedouin  seldom  fails  to  show  on  his  ap¬ 
proach  to  a  town,  for,  when  once  in  it,  he  is  apt  to 


108 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


sneak  about  much  like  a  dog  who  has  just  received 
a  beating  for  theft.  On  his  answer,  delivered  in  a 
most  submissive  tone,  the  horsemen  held  a  brief 
consultation,  and  we  then  saw  two  of  them  turn 
their  horses’  heads,  and  gallop  off  in  the  direction 
of  the  Djowf,  while  our  original  interlocutor  called 
out  to  Suleyman,  *  All  right,  go  on,  and  fear  no¬ 
thing,’  and  then  disappeared  after  the  rest  of  the 
band  behind  the  verge  of  the  upland. 

“  We  had  yet  to  drag  on  for  an  hour  of  tedious 
march ;  my  camel  fairly  broke  down,  and  fell  again 
and  again ;  his  bad  example  was  followed  by  the 
coffee-laden  beast ;  the  heat  was  terrible  in  these 
gorges,  and  noon  was  approaching.  At  last  we 
cleared  the  pass,  but  found  the  onward  prospect 
still  shut  out  by  an  intervening  mass  of  rocks.  The 
water  in  our  skins  was  spent,  and  we  had  eaten  no¬ 
thing  that  morning.  When  shall  we  get  in  sight  of 
the  Djowf?  or  has  it  flown  away  from  before  us ? 
While  thus  wearily  laboring  on  our  way  we  turned 
a  huge  pile  of  crags,  and  a  new  and  beautiful  scene 
burst  upon  our  view. 

“A  broad,  deep  valley,  descending  ledge  after 
ledge  till  its  innermost  depths  are  hidden  from  sight 
amid  far-reaching  shelves  of  reddish  rock,  below 
everywhere  studded  with  tufts  of  palm  groves  and 
clustering  fruit  trees,  in  dark  green  patches,  down 
to  the  furthest  end  of  its  windings  ;  a  large  brown 
mass  of  irregular  masonry  crowning  a  central  hill ; 
beyond,  a  tall  and  solitary  tower  overlooking  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  hollow,  and  further  down 
small  round  turrets  and  flat  house-tops,  half  buried 


AN  ARAB  CHIEF 


PALGRAVE'S  TRAVELS. 


109 


amid  the  garden  foliage,  the  whole  plunged  in  a 
perpendicular  flood  of  light  and  heat ;  such  was  the 
first  aspect  of  the  Djowf  as  we  now  approached  it 
from  the  west.  It  was  a  lovely  scene,  and  seemed 
yet  more  so  to  our  eyes,  weary  of  the  long  desolation 
through  which  we  had,  with  hardly  an  exception, 
journeyed  day  after  day,  since  our  last  farewell 
glimpse  of  Gaza  and  Palestine,  up  to  the  first 
entrance  on  inhabited  Arabia.  ‘  Like  the  Paradise 
of  eternity,  none  can  enter  it  till  after  having  pre¬ 
viously  passed  over  hell-bridge,’  says  an  Arab  poet, 
describing  some  similar  locality  in  Algerian  lands. 

“  Re-animated  by  the  view,  we  pushed  on  our 
jaded  beasts,  and  were  already  descending  the  first 
craggy  slope  of  the  valley  when  two  horsemen,  well 
dressed  and  fully  armed  after  the  fashion  of  these 
parts,  came  up  toward  us  from  the  town,  and  at 
once  saluted  us  with  a  loud  and  hearty  ‘  Marimba,’ 
or  ‘  welcome and  without  further  preface  they 
added,  ‘  alight  and  eat,’  giving  themselves  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  the  former  by  descending  briskly  from 
their  light-limbed  horses,  and  untying  a  large  lea¬ 
ther  bag,  full  of  excellent  dates,  and  a  water-skin, 
filled  from  the  running  spring;  then,  spreading  out 
these  most  opportune  refreshments  on  the  rock,  and 
adding,  ‘  we  were  sure  that  you  must  be  hungry  and 
thirst}',  so  we  have  come  ready  provided,'  they  in¬ 
vited  us  once  more  to  sit  down  and  begin.’ 


CHAPTER  IX. 


PALGEAVE’s  TRAVELS. — RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 
HE  elder  of  the  two  cavaliers  who  welcomed 


A.  the  travellers  proved  to  be  Ghafil-el-Haboob, 
the  chief  of  the  most  important  family  of  the 
Djowf,  former  rulers  of  the  place,  but  now  subject 
to  Hamood,  the  vicegerent  of  Telal,  the  prince  of 
Djebel  Shorn er,  with  whom  Palgrave  afterwards  be¬ 
came  acquainted.  Ghafil,  and  also  his  companion, 
Dafee,  invited  the  travellers  to  be  his  guests,  and 
the  former,  it  afterwards  appeared,  had  intended 
that  they  should  reside  in  his  house,  hoping  to 
make  some  profit  from  the  merchandise  which  they 
might  have  brought.  They  felt  bound,  at  least,  to 
accompany  him  to  his  house  and  partake  of  coffee, 
before  going  elsewhere.  Palgrave  thus  describes  the 
manner  of  their  reception  : 

“  The  k’hawah  was  a  large,  oblong  hall,  about 
twenty  feet  in  height,  fifty  in  length,  and  sixteen,  or 
thereabouts,  in  breadth  ;  the  walls  were  colored  in  a 
rudely  decorative  manner,  with  brown  and  white 
wash,  and  sunk  here  and  there  into  small  triangular 
recesses,  destined  to  the  reception  of  books — though 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


Ill 


of  these  Ghafil  at  least  had  no  over- abundance — 
lamps,  and  other  such  like  objects.  The  roof  of 
timber,  and  fiat ;  the  floor  was  strewed  with  fine 
clean  sand,  and  garnished  all  round  alongside  of  the 
wralls  with  long  strips  of  carpet,  upon  which  cush¬ 
ions,  covered  with  faded  silk,  were  disposed  at  suit¬ 
able  intervals.  In  poorer  houses  felt  rugs  usually 
take  the  place  of  carpets.  In  one  corner,  namely, 
that  furthest  removed  from  the  door,  stood  a  small 
fireplace,  or,  to  speak  more  exactly,  furnace,  form  id 
of  a  large,  square  block  of  granite,  or  some  other 
hard  stone,  about  twenty  inches  each  way  ;  this  is 
hollowed  inwardly  into  a  deep  funnel,  open  above, 
and  communicating  below  with  a  small  horizontal 
tube  or  pipe-hole,  through  which  the  air  passes, 
bellows-driven,  to  the  lighted  charcoal  piled  upon  a 
grating  about  half-way  inside  the  cone.  In  this 
manner  the  fuel  is  soon  brought  to  a  white  heat, 
and  the  water  in  the  coffee  pot  placed  upon  the  fun¬ 
nel’s  mouth,  is  readily  brought  to  boil.  The  system 
of  coffee  furnaces  is  universal  in  Djowf  and  Djebel 
Shomer,  but  in  Nedjed  itself,  and,  indeed,  in  what¬ 
ever  other  yet  more  distant  regions  of  Arabia  I 
visited  to  the  south  and  east,  the  furnace  is  rer 
placed  by  an  open  fireplace,  hollowed  in  the  ground 
floor,  with  a  raised  stone  border,  and  dog-irons  for 
the  fuel,  and  so  forth,  like  what  may  be  yet  seen  in 
Spain.” 

“We  enter.  On  passing  the  threshold  it  is  pro¬ 
per  to  say,  ‘  Bismillali ,’  i.  e.,  ‘  in  the  name  of  God 
not  to  do  so  wrould  be  looked  on  as  a  bad  augury, 
alike  for  him  who  enters  and  for  those  within.  The 


112 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


visitor  next  advances  in  silence,  till,  on  coming  about 
half  way  across  the  room,  he  gives  to  all  present, 
but  looking  specially  at  the  master  of  the  house,  the 
customary  ‘  E*-salamiL aleykum’  or  £  Peace  be  with 
you,’  literally,  £  on  you.’  All  this  while  every  one 
else  in  the  room  has  kept  his  place,  motionless,  and 
without  saying  a  word.  But  on  receiving  the  sa¬ 
laam  of  etiquette,  the  master  of  the  house  rises,  and 
if  a  strict  Wahabee,  or  at  any  rate  desirous  of 
seeming  such,  replies  with  the  full-length  tradition¬ 
ary  formula  :  ‘  And  with  (or,  on)  you  be  peace,  and 
the  mercy  of  God,  and  his  blessings.’  But  should 
he  happen  to  be  of  anti- Wahabee  tendencies,  the 
odds  are  that  he  will  say  ‘  Marhaba,’  or  ‘  Ahlan 
w’  sahlan,’  i.  e.,  ‘  welcome,’  or £  worthy  and  pleasurable,’ 
or  the  like  ;  for  of  such  phrases  there  is  an  infinite 
but  elegant  variety.  All  present  follow  the  example 
thus  given  by  rising  and  saluting.  The  guest  then 
goes  up  to  the  master  of  the  house,  who  has  also 
made  a  step  or  two  forwards,  and  places  his  open 
hand  in  the  palm  of  his  host’s,  but  without  grasping 
or  shaking,  which  would  hardly  pass  for  decorous, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  each  repeats  once  more  his 
greeting,  followed  by  the  set  phrases  of  polite  in- 
quiry,  £  How  are  you  ?’  £  How  goes  the  world  with 

you?’  and  so  forth,  all  in  a  tone  of  great  interest, 
and  to  be  gone  over  three  or  four  times,  till  one  or 
other  has  the  discretion  to  say  £  El  liamdu  l’illah,’ 

‘  Praise  be  to  God,’  or,  in  equivalent  value,  £  all 
right,’  and  this  is  a  signal  for  a  seasonable  diversion 
to  the  ceremonious  interrogatory. 

“  Meantime  we  have  become  engaged  in  active 


RESIDENCE  IN  TEE  DJOWF. 


113 


conversation  with  our  host  and  his  friends.  But 
our  Sherarat  guide,  Suleyman,  like  a  true  Bedouin, 
feels  too  awkward  when  among  towns-folk,  to  ven¬ 
ture  on  the  upper  places,  though  repeatedly  invited, 
and  accordingly  has  squatted  down  on  the  sand 
near  the  entrance.  Many  of  Ghafil’s  relations  are 
present ;  their  silver-decorated  swords  proclaim  the 
importance  of  the  family.  Others,  too,  have  come 
to  receive  us,  for  our  arrival,  announced  beforehand 
by  those  we  had  met  at  the  entrance  pass,  is  a  sort 
of  event  in  the  town ;  the  dress  of  some  betokens 
poverty,  others  are  better  clad,  but  all  have  a  very 
polite  and  decorous  manner.  Many  a  question  is 
asked  about  our  native  land  and  town,  that  is  to  say, 
Syria  and  Damascus,  conformably  to  the  disguise 
already  adopted,  and  which  it  was  highly  important 
to  keep  well  up ;  then  follow  inquiries  regarding  our 
journey,  our  business,  what  we  have  brought  with 
us,  about  our  medicines,  our  goods  and  wares,  etc., 
etc.  From  the  very  first  it  is  easy  for  us  to  per¬ 
ceive  that  patients  and  purchasers  are  likely  to 
abound.  Yery  few  travelling  merchants,  if  any, 
visit  the  Djowf  at  this  time  of  year,  for  one  must  be 
mad,  or  next  door  to  it,  to  rush  into  the  vast  desert 
around  during  the  heats  of  June  and  July  ;  I  for 
one  have  certainly  no  intention  of  doing  it  again. 
Hence  we  had  small  danger  of  competitors,  and 
found  the  market  almost  at  our  absolute  disposal. 

“  But  before  a  quarter  of  an  hour  has  passed,  and 
while  blacky  is  still  roasting  or  pounding  his  coffee, 
a  tall,  thin  lad,  Ghafil’s  eldest  son,  appears,  cnarged 
with  a  large  circular  dish,  grass-platted  like  the 


114 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


rest,  and  throws  it  with  a  graceful  jerk  on  the  sandy 
door  close  before  us.  He  then  produces  a  large 
wooden  bowl  full  of  dates,  bearing  in  the  midst  of 
the  heap  a  cup  full  of  melted  butter ;  all  this  he 
places  on  the  circular  mat,  and  says,  4  SemmooJ ' 
literally,  ‘pronounce  the  Name,’  of  God,  under¬ 
stood  ;  this  means,  ‘  set  to  work  at  it.’  Hereon  the 
master  of  the  house  quits  his  place  by  the  fireside, 
and  seats  himself  on  the  sand  opposite  to  us  ;  we 
draw  nearer  to  the  dish,  and  four  or  five  others, 
after  some  respectful  coyness,  join  the  circle.  Every 
one  then  picks  out  a  date  or  two  from  the  juicy, 
half-amalgamated  mass,  dips  them  into  the  butter, 
and  thus  goes  on  eating  till  he  has  had  enough, 
when  he  rises  and  washes  his  hands/' 

During  the  conversation,  coffee  was  served  three 
or  four  times,  in  small  cups,  half-filled,  one  of  which 
the  coffee-maker  himself  first  drank,  as  a  test. 
Ghafil  again  urged  the  travellers  to  set  up  their 
coffee  and  medicine  shop  in  his  own  house  ;  but 
Palgrave  had  had  no  opportunity  of  writing  since 
leaving  Ma’an,  and  desired,  moreover,  to  have  fre¬ 
quent  chances  of  consulting  alone  with  his  com¬ 
panion.  It  was  not  easy  to  decline  the  offer,  but 
his  knowledge  of  the  Arab  character  furnished  him 
with  several  plausible  pretexts,  which  Glialil  was 
obliged  to  accept,  insisting,  however,  that  he  should 
himself  select  them  a  convenient  dwelling  the  next 
day.  “  The  rest  of  the  afternoon,”  says  Palgrave, 

“  was  devoted  to  repose,  and  it  was  near  sun  et 
when  our  host  invited  us  to  visit  his  gardens  in  the 
cool  of  the  evening.  I  will  take  the  opportunity  of 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


115 


leading  my  readers  over  the  whole  of  the  Djowf  as 

a  general  view  will  help  better  to  understand  what 

follows  in  the  narrative,  besides  offering  much  that 

will  be  in  part  new,  I  should  fancy,  to  the  greater 
number. 

“  This  Province  is  a  sort  of  oasis,  a  large  oval  de¬ 
pression  of  sixty  or  seventy  miles  long,  by  ten  or 
twelve  broad,  lying  between  the  northern  desert  that 
separates  it  from  Syria  and  the  Euphrates,  and  the 
southern  Nefood,  or  sandy  waste,  and  interposed 
between  it  and  the  nearest  mountains  of  the  central 
Arabian  plateau.  However,  from  its  comparative 
proximity  to  the  latter,  no  less  than  from  the  char- 
actei  of  its  climate  and  productions,  it  belongs 
hardly  so  much  to  Northern  as  to  Central  Arabia, 
of  which  it  is  a  kind  of  porch  or  vestibule.  If  an 
equilaterial  triangle  were  to  be  drawn,  having  its 
base  from  Damascus  to  Bagdad,  the  vertex  would 
hnd  itself  pretty  exactly  as  the  Djowf,  which  is  thus 
at  a  nearly  equal  distance,  southeast  and  south¬ 
west,  from  the  two  localities  just  mentioned,  while 
the  same  cross-line,  if  continued,  will  give  at  about 
the  same  intervals  of  space  in  the  opposite  direc¬ 
tion,  Medina  on  the  one  hand,  and  Zulphah,  the 
great  commercial  door  of  Eastern  Nedjed,  on  the 
otier.  Djebel  Shomer  lies  almost  due  south,  and 
much  nearer  than  any  other  of  the  places  above 
sjDecined.  Partly  to  this  central  position,  and  partly 
to  its  own  excavated  form,  the  province  owes  its  ap¬ 
propriate  name  of  Djowf,  or  ‘belly.’ 

Ihe  principal,  or  rather  the  only  town  of  the 
district,  all  the  rest  being  mere  hamlets,  bears  the 


116 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


name  of  the  entire  region.  It  is  composed  of  eight 
villages,  once  distinct,  but  which  have  in  process  of 
time  coalesced  into  one,  and  exchanged  their  sepa¬ 
rate  existence  and  name  for  that  of  Sook,  or 
‘  quarter,’  of  the  common  borough.  Of  these 
Sooks,  the  principal  is  that  belonging  to  the  family 
Ilaboob,  and  in  which  we  were  now  lodged.  It  in¬ 
cludes  the  central  castle  already  mentioned,  and 
numbers  about  four  hundred  houses.  The  other 
quarters,  some  larger,  others  smaller,  stretch  up  and 
down  the  valley,  but  are  connected  together  by  their 
extensive  gardens.  The  entire  length  of  the  town 
thus  formed,  with  the  cultivation  immediately  an¬ 
nexed,  is  full  four  miles,  but  the  average  breadth 
does  not  exceed  half  a  mile,  and  sometimes  falls 
short  of  it. 

“  The  size  of  the  domicils  varies  with  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  their  occupants,  and  the  poor  are  contented 
with  narrow  lodgings,  though  always  separate  ;  for 
I  doubt  if  throughout  the  whole  of  Arabia  two  fa¬ 
milies,  however  needy,  inhabit  the  same  dwelling. 
Ghafil’s  abode,  already  described,  may  give  a  fair 
idea  of  the  better  kind ;  in  such  we  have  an 
outer  court,  for  unlading  camels  and  the  like,  an 
inner  court,  a  large  reception  room,  and  several 
other  smaller  apartments,  to  which  entrance  is  given 
by  a  private  door,  and  where  the  family  itself  is 
lodged. 

“  But  another  and  a  very  characteristic  feature 
of  domestic  architecture  is  the  frequent  addition, 
throughout  the  Djowf,  of  a  round  tower,  from  thirty 
to  forty  feet  in  height  and  twelve  or  more  in 


RESIDENCE  IN  T1IE  DJOWF. 


117 


breadth,  with  a  narrow  entrance  and  loop-holes 
above.  This  construction  is  sometimes  contiguous 
to  the  dwelling-place,  and  sometimes  isolated  in  a 
neighboring  garden  belonging  to  the  same  master. 
These  towers  once  answered  exactly  the  same  pur¬ 
poses  as  the  ‘  torri,’  well  known  to  travellers  in 
many  cities  of  Italy,  at  Bologna,  Siena,  Borne,  and 
elsewhere,  and  denoted  a  somewhat  analogous 
state  of  society  to  what  formerly  prevailed  there. 
Hither,  in  time  of  the  ever-recurring  feuds  between 
rival  chiefs  and  factions,  the  leaders  and  their  par¬ 
tisans  used  to  retire  for  refuge  and  defence,  and 
hence  they  would  make  their  sallies  to  burn  and 
destroy.  These  towers,  like  all  the  modern  edifices 
of  the  Djowf,  are  of  unbaked  bricks  ;  their  great 
thickness  and  solidity  of  make,  along  with  the  ex¬ 
treme  tenacity  of  the  soil,  joined  to  a  very  dry 
climate,  renders  the  material  a  rival  almost  of  stone¬ 
work  in  strength  and  endurance.  Since  the  final 
occupation  of  this  region  by  the  forces  of  Telal, 
all  these  towers  have,  without  exception,  been  ren¬ 
dered  unfit  for  defence,  and  some  are  even  hall 
ruined.  Here  again  the  phenomena  of  Europe  have 
repeated  themselves  in  Arabia. 

“  The  houses  are  not  unfrequently  isolated  each 
from  the  other  by  their  gardens  and  plantations  ;  and 
this  is  especially  the  case  with  the  dwellings  of  chiefs 
and  their  families.  What  has  just  been  said  about 
the  towers  renders  the  reasons  of  this  isolation  suffi¬ 
ciently  obvious.  But  the  dwellings  of  the  com¬ 
moner  sort  are  general  clustered  together,  though 
without  symmetry  or  method. 


118 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  The  gardens  of  the  Djowf  are  much  celebrated 
in  this  part  of  the  East,  and  justly  so.  They  are  of 
a  productiveness  and  variety  superior  to  those  of 
Djebel  Shomer  or  of  Upper  Nedjed,  and  far  beyond 
whatever  the  Hedjaz  and  its  neighborhood  can  offer. 
Here,  for  the  first  time  in  our  southward  course,  we 
found  the  date-palm  a  main  object  of  cultivation  ; 
and  if  its  produce  be  inferior  to  that  of  the  same 
tree  in  Nedjed  and  Hasa,  it  is  far,  very  far,  above 
whatever  Egypt,  Africa,  or  the  valley  of  the  Tigris 
from  Bagdad  to  Bassora  can  show.  However,  the 
palm  is  by  no  means  alone  here.  The  apricot  and 
the  peach,  the  fig-tree  and  the  vine,  abound  through¬ 
out  these  orchards,  and  their  fruit  surpasses  in  co¬ 
piousness  and  flavor,  that  supplied  by  the  gardens 
of  Damascus  or  the  hills  of  Syria  and  Palestine. 
In  the  intervals  between  the  trees  or  in  the  fields 
beyond,  corn,  leguminous  plants,  gourds,  melons, 
etc.,  etc.,  are  widely  cultivated.  Here,  too,  for  the 
last  time,  the  traveller  bound  for  the  interior  sees 
the  irrigation  indispensable  to  all  growth  and  tillage 
in  this  droughty  climate  kept  up  by  running  streams 
of  clear  water,  whereas  in  the  Nedjed  and  its  neigh¬ 
borhood  it  has  to  be  laboriously  procured  from  wells 
and  cisterns. 

“  Besides  the  Djowf  itself,  or  capital,  there  exist 
several  other  villages  belonging  to  the  same  ho¬ 
monymous  province,  and  all  subject  to  the  same 
central  governor.  Of  these  the  largest  is  Sekakali  ; 
it  lies  at  about  twelve  miles  distant  to  the  northeast, 
and  though  inferior  to  the  principal  town  in  import¬ 
ance  and  fertility  of  soil,  almost  equals  it  in  the 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


119 


number  of  its  inhabitants.  I  should  reckon  the 
united  population  of  these  two  localities — men,  wo¬ 
men,  and  children — at  about  thirty-three  or  thirty- 
four  thousand  souls.  This  calculation,  like  many 
others  before  us  in  the  course  of  the  work,  rests 
partly  on  an  approximate  survey  of  the  number  of 
dwellings,  partly  on  the  military  muster,  and  partly 
on  what  I  heard  on  the  subject  from  the  natives 
themselves.  A  census  is  here  unknown,  and  no 
register  records  birth,  marriage,  or  death.  Yet,  by 
aid  of  the  war  list,  which  generally  represents  about 
one  tenth  of  the  entire  population,  a  fair  though  not 
absolute  idea  may  be  obtained  on  this  point. 

“Lastly,  around  and  at  no  great  distance  from 
these  main  centres,  are  several  small  villages  or 
hamlets,  eight  or  ten  in  number,  as  I  was  told,  and 
containing  each  of  them  from  twenty  to  fifty  or 
sixty  houses.  But  I  had  neither  time  nor  opportu¬ 
nity  to  visit  each  separately.  They  cluster  round 
lesser  water  springs,  and  offer  in  miniature  features 
much  resembling  those  of  the  capital.  The  entire 
population  of  the  province  cannot  exceed  forty  or 
forty-two  thousand,  but  it  is  a  brave  one,  and  very 
liberally  provided  with  the  physical  endowments  of 
which  it  has  been  acutely  said  that  they  are  seldom 
despised  save  by  those  who  do  not  themselves 
possess  them.  Tall,  well-proportioned,  of  a  toler¬ 
ably  fair  complexion,  set  off  by  long  curling  locks  of 
jet-black  hair,  with  features  for  the  most  part 
regular  and  intelligent,  and  a  dignified  carriage,  the 
Ljowfites  are  eminently  good  specimens  of  what 
may  be  called  the  pure  northern  or  Ishmaelitish  Arab 


120 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA.- 


type,  and  in  all  these  respects  they  yield  the  palm 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Djebel  Shomer  alone.  Their 
large-developed  forms  and  open  countenance  con¬ 
trast  strongly  with  the  somewhat  dwarfish  stature 
and  suspicious  under-glance  of  the  Bedouin.  They 
are,  besides,  a  very  healthy  people,  and  keep  up 
their  strength  and  activity  even  to  an  advanced  age. 
It  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  here,  to  see  an  old 
man  of  seventy  set  out  full-armed  among  a  band  of 
youths;  though,  by  the  way,  such  “green  old  age” 
is  often  to  be  met  with  also  in  the  central  province 
further  south,  as  I  have  had  frequent  opportunity  of 
witnessing.  The  climate,  too,  is  good  and  dry,  and 
habits  of  out-door  life  contribute  not  a  little  to  the 
maintenance  of  health  and  vigor. 

“  In  manners,  as  in  locality,  the  worthies  of  Djowf 
occupy  a  sort  of  half-way  position  between  Be¬ 
douins  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  cultivated  dis¬ 
tricts.  Thus  they  partake  largely  in  the  nomad’s 
aversion  to  mechanical  occupations,  in  his  indiffer¬ 
ence  to  literary  acquirements,  in  his  aimless  fickle¬ 
ness  too,  and  even  in  his  treacherous  ways.  I  have 
said  in  the  preceding  chapter,  that  while  we  were 
yet  threading  the  narrow  gorge  near  the  first  en¬ 
trance  of  the  valley,  several  horsemen  appeared  on 
the  upper  margin  of  the  pass,  and  one  of  them  ques¬ 
tioned  our  guide,  and  then,  after  a  short  consulta¬ 
tion  with  his  companions,  called  out  to  us  to  go  on 
and  fear  nothing.  Now  the  name  of  this  individual 
was  Sulman-ebn-Dahir,  a  very  adventurous  and  fairly 
intelligent  young  fellow,  with  whom  next-door 
neighborhood  and  frequent  intercourse  rendered  us 


RESIDENCE  •  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


121 


intimate  during  our  stay  at  the  Djowf.  One  day, 
while  we  were  engaged  in  friendly  conversation, 
he  said,  half  laughing,  ‘  Do  you  know  what  we  were 
consulting  about  while  you  were  in  the  pass  below 
on  the  morning  of  your  arrival?  It  was  whether 
we  should  make  you  a  good  reception,  and  thus  pro¬ 
cure  ourselves  the  advantage  of  having  you  resi¬ 
dents  amongst  us,  or  whether  we  should  not  do 
better  to  kill  you  all  three,  and  take  our  gain  from 
the  booty  to  be  found  in  your  baggage.’  I  replied 
with  equal  coolness,  ‘It  might  have  proved  an  awk¬ 
ward  affair  for  yourself  and  your  friends,  since 
Hamood  your  governor  could  hardly  have  failed  to 
get  wind  of  the  matter,  and  would  have  taken  it 
out  of  you.’  ‘  Pooh  !  ’  replied  our  friend,  ‘  never  a 
bit;  as  if  a  present  out  of  the  plunder  would  not 
have  tied  Hamood’s  tongue.’  ‘  Bedouins  that  you 
are,’  said  I,  laughing.  ‘  Of  course  we  are,’ 
answered  Sulman,  ‘  for  such  we  all  w  ere  till  quite 
lately,  and  the  present  system  is  too  recent  to  have 
much  changed  us.’  However,  he  admitted  that 
they  all  had,  on  second  thoughts,  congratulated 
themselves  on  not  having  preferred  bloodshed  to 
hospitality,  though  perhaps  the  better  resolution 
was  rather  owing  to  interested  than  to  moral  mo¬ 
tives. 

“  The  most  distinctive  good  feature  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Djowf  is  their  liberality.  Nowhere  else, 
even  in  Arabia,  is  the  guest,  so  at  least  he  be  not 
murdered  before  admittance,  better  treated,  or  moie 
cordially  invited  to  become  in  every  way  one  of 
themselves.  Courage,  too,  no  one  denies  them,  and 


122 


TRAVELS  IN.  ARABIA. 


they  are  equally  lavish  of  their  own  lives  and  prop¬ 
erty  as  of  their  neighbors.’ 

“  Let  us  now  resume  the  narrative.  On  the  morn¬ 
ing  after  our  arrival — it  was  now  the  1st  of  July — 
Ghafil  caused  a  small  house  in  the  neighborhood, 
belonging  to  one  of  his  dependents,  to  be  put  at  our 
entire  disposal,  according  to  our  previous  request. 
This,  our  new  abode,  consisted  of  a  small  court  with 
two  rooms,  one  on  each  side,  for  warehouse  and  ha¬ 
bitation,  the  whole  being  surrounded  with  an  outer 
wall,  whose  door  was  closed  by  lock  and  bolt.  Of  a 
kitchen-room  there  was  small  need,  so  constant  and 
hospitable  are  the  invitations  of  the  good  folks  here 
to  strangers ;  and  if  our  house  was  not  over  capa¬ 
cious,  it  afforded  at  least  what  we  most  desired, 
namely,  seclusion  and  privacy  at  will ;  it  was,  more¬ 
over,  at  our  host’s  cost,  rent  and  reparations. 

“  Hither,  accordingly,  we  transferred  baggage  and 
chattels,  and  arranged  everything  as  comfortably  as^ 
we  best  could.  And  as  we  had  already  concluded 
from  the  style  and  conversation  of  those  around  us, 
that  their  state  of  society  was  hardly  far  enough  ad¬ 
vanced  to  offer  a  sufficiently  good  prospect  for  me¬ 
dical  art,  whose  exercise,  to  be  generally  advanta¬ 
geous,  requires  a  certain  amount  of  culture  and 
aptitude  in  the  patient,  no  less  than  of  skill  in  the 
physician,  we  resolved  to  make  commerce  our  main 
affair  here,  trusting  that  by  so  doing  we  should  gain 
a  second  advantage,  that  of  lightening  our  more 
bulky  goods,  such  as  coffee  and  cloth,  whose  trans¬ 
port  had  already  annoyed  us  not  a  little. 

“  But  in  fact  we  were  not  more  desirous  to  sell 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


123 


than  the  men,  women,  and  children  of  the  Djowf 
were  to  buy.  From  the  very  outset  our  little  court¬ 
yard  was  crowded  with  customers,  and  the  most 
amusing  scenes  of  Arab  haggling,  in  all  its  mixed 
shrewdness  and  simplicity,  diverted  us  through  the 
week.  Handkerchief  after  handkerchief,  yard  after 
yard  of  cloth,  beads  for  the  women,  knives,  combs, 
looking-glasses,  and  what  not  ?  (for  our  stock  was  a 
thorough  miscellany,)  were  soon  sold  off,  some  foi 
ready  money,  others  on  credit ;  and  it  is  but  justice 
to  say  that  all  debts  so  contracted  were  soon  paid 
in  very  honestly  ;  Oxford  High  Street  tradesmen, 
at  least  in  former  times,  were  not  always  equally 
fortunate. 

<£  Meanwhile  we  had  the  very  best  opportunity  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  and  appreciating  all 
classes,  nay,  almost  all  individuals  of  the  place. 
Peasants  too  from  various  hamlets  arrived,  led  by 
rumor,  whose  trumpet,  prone  to  exaggerate  under 
every  sky,  had  proclaimed  us  throughout  the  valley 
of  Djowf  for  much  more  important  characters,  and 
possessed  of  a  much  larger  stock  in  hand  than  was 
really  the  case.  All  crowded  in,  and  befoie  long 
there  were  more  customers  than  wares  assembled  in 
the  store-room. 

u  Our  manner  of  passing  the  time  was  as  follows. 
We  used  to  rise  at  early  dawn,  lock  up  the  house, 
and  go  out  in  the  pure  cool  air  of  the  morning  to 
some  quiet  spot  among  the  neighboring  palm- 
groves,  or  scale  the  wall  of  some  garden,  01  pass 
right  on  through  the  by-lanes  to  where  cultivation 
merges  in  the  adjoining  sands  of  the  valley  ,  in 


124 


TRAVELS  L V  ARABIA . 


short,  to  any  convenient  place  where  we  might  hope 
to  pass  an  hour  of  quiet,  undisturbed  by  Arab  so¬ 
ciability,  and  have  leisure  to  plan  our  work  for  tho 
dav.  We  would  then  return  home  about  sunrise, 
and  find  outside  the  door  some  tall  lad  sent  sent  by 
his  father,  generally  one  of  the  wealthier  and  more 
influential  inhabitants  of  the  quarter  yet  unvisited 
by  us,  waiting  our  return,  to  invite  us  to  an  early 
breakfast.  We  would  now  accompany  our  Mer¬ 
cury  to  his  domicil,  where  a  hearty  reception,  and 
some  neighors  collected  for  the  occasion,  or  at¬ 
tracted  by  a  cup  of  good  coffee,  were  sure  to  be  in 
attendance.  Here  an  hour  or  so  would  wear  away, 
and  some  medical  or  mercantile  transaction  be 
sketched  out.  We,  of  course,  would  bring  the  con¬ 
versation,  whenever  it  was  possible,  on  local  topics, 
according  as  those  present  seemed  likely  to  afford 
us  exact  knowledge  and  insight  into  the  real  state 
and  circumstances  of  the  land.  We  would  then  re¬ 
turn  to  our  own  quarters,  where  a  crowd  of  custom¬ 
ers,  awaiting  us,  would  allow  us  neither  rest  nor 
pause  till  noon.  Then  a  short  interval  for  date  or 
pumpkin  eating  in  some  neighbor’s  house  would 
occur,  and  after  that  business  be  again  resumed  for 
three  or  four  hours.  A  walk  among  the  gardens, 
rarely  alone,  more  often  in  company  with  friends 
and  acquaintances,  would  follow;  and  meanwhile  an 
invitation  to  supper  somewhere  had  unfailingly  been 
given  and  accepted.” 

“  After  supper  all  rise,  wash  their  hands,  and 
then  go  out  into  the  open  air  to  sit  and  smoke  a 
quiet  pipe  under  the  still  transparent  sky  of  the  sum- 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


125 


mer  evening.  Neither  mist  nor  vapor,  much  less  a 
cloud,  appears  ;  the  moon  dips  down  in  silvery  white¬ 
ness  to  the  very  verge  of  the  palm-tree  tops,  and  the 
last  rays  of  daylight  are  almost  as  sharp  and  clear 
as  the  dawn  itself.  Chat  and  society  continue  for 
an  hour  or  two,  and  then  every  one  goes  home,  most 
to  sleep,  I  fancy,  for  few  Penseroso  lamps  are  here 
to  be  seen  at  midnight  hour,  nor  does  the  spirit  of 
Plato  stand  much  risk  of  unsphering  from  the  noc¬ 
turnal  studies  of  the  Djowf ;  we,  to  write  our  jour¬ 
nal,  or  to  compare  observations  and  estimate  char¬ 
acters. 

“  Sometimes  a  comfortable  landed  proprietor 
would  invite  us  to  pass  an  extemporary  holiday 
morning  in  his  garden,  or  rather  orchard,  there 
to  eat  grapes  and  enjoy  ourselves  at  will,  seated 
under  clustering  vine-trellises,  with  palm-trees  above 
and  running  streams  around.  How  pleasant  it  was 
after  the  desert !  At  other  times  visits  of  patients, 
prescriptions,  and  similar  duties  would  take  up  a 
part  of  the  day  ;  or  some  young  fellow,  particularly 
desirous  of  information  about  Syria  or  Egypt,  or 
perhaps  curious  after  history  and  moral  science, 
would  hold  us  for  a  couple  of  hours  in  serious  and 
sensible  talk,  at  any  rate  to  our  advantage.” 

It  was  necessary  that  the  travellers  should  not 
delay  in  paying  their  official  visit  to  Hamood,  the 
vicegerent  of  Telal.  His  residence  is  in  the  centre 
of  the  garden  region,  near  a  solitary  round  tower, 
whose  massive  stone  walls  are  mentioned  in  Arabi¬ 
an  poetry.  Hamood’s  residence  is  an  irregular 
structure,  of  more  recent  date,  with  no  distinguishing 


126 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


feature  except  a  tower  about  fifty  feet  in  height. 
Palgrave  and  his  companion  were  accompanied  by  a 
large  number  of  their  newly-found  friends.  After 
passing  through  an  outer  court,  filled  with  armed 
guards,  they  found  the  ruler,  seated  in  his  large 
reception  hall : 

“  There,  in  the  place  of  distinction,  which  he  never 
yields  to  any  individual  of  Djowf,  whatever  be  his 
birth  or  wealth,  appeared  the  governor,  a  strong, 
broad-shouldered,  dark-browed,  dark-eyed  man, 
clad  in  the  long  white  shirt  of  the  country,  and  over 
it  a  handsome  black  cloak,  embroidered  with  crim¬ 
son  silk ;  on  his  august  head  a  silken  handkerchief 
or  keffeeyeh,  girt  by  a  white  band  of  finely  woven 
camel’s  hair  ;  and  in  his  fingers  a  grass  fan.  He 
rose  graciously  on  our  approach,  extended  to  us  the 
palm  of  his  hand,  and  made  us  sit  down  near  his 
side,  keeping,  however,  Gliafil,  as  an  old  acquain¬ 
tance,  between  himself  and  us,  perhaps  as  a  precau¬ 
tionary  arrangement  against  any  sudden  assault  or 
treasonable  intention  on  our  part,  for  an  Arab,  be 
he  who  he  may,  is  never  off  his  guard  when  new 
faces  are  in  presence.  In  other  respects  he  showed 
us  much  courtesy  and  good  will,  made  many  civil 
inquiries  about  our  health  after  so  fatiguing  a  jour¬ 
ney,  praised  Damascus  and  the  Damascenes,  by 
way  of  an  indirect  compliment,  and  offered  us  a 
lodging  in  the  castle.  But  here  Ghafil  availed  him¬ 
self  of  the  privileges  conceded  by  Arab  custom  to 
priority  of  liostsliip  to  put  in  his  negative  on  our 
behalf  ;  nor  were  we  anxious  to  press  the  matter.  A 
pound  or  so  of  our  choicest  coffee,  with  which  we  on 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


127 


this  occasion  presented  his  excellency,  both  as  a  mute 
witness  to  tlie  object  of  our  journey,  and  the  better  to 
secure  his  good  will,  was  accepted  very  readily  by 
the  great  man,  who  in  due  return  offered  us  his  best 
services.  We  replied  that  we  stood  in  need  of  noth¬ 
ing  save  his  long  life,  this  being  the  Arab  formula 
for  rejoinder  to  such  fair  speeches  ;  and,  next  in 
order,  of  means  to  get  safe  on  to  Ha  yel  so  soon  as 
our  business  at  the  Djowf  should  permit,  being  de¬ 
sirous  to  establish  ourselves  under  the  immediate 
patronage  of  Telal.  In  this  he  promised  to  aid  us, 
and  kept  his  word.” 

Hamood  afterwards  politely  returned  their  visit, 
and  they  frequently  went  to  his  castle  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  studying  the  many  interesting  scenes  pre¬ 
sented  by  the  exercise  of  the  very  primitive  Arab 
system  of  justice.  Palgrave  gives  the  following  case 
as  a  specimen  : 

“  One  day  my  comrade  and  myself  were  on  a  visit 
of  mere  politeness  at  the  castle;  the  customary  cere¬ 
monies  had  been  gone  through,  and  business,  at  first 
interrupted  by  our  entrance,  had  resumed  its  course. 
A  Bedouin  of  the  Ma’az  tribe  waspleading  his  cause 
before  Hamood,  and  accusing  some  one  of  having 
forcibly  taken  away  his  camel.  The  governor  was 
seated  with  an  air  of  intense  gravity  in  his  corner, 
half  leaning  on  a  cushion,  while  the  Bedouin,  cross- 
legged  on  the  ground  before  him,  and  within  six  feet 
of  his  person,  flourished  in  his  hand  a  large  reaping 
hook,  identically  that  which  is  here  used  for  cutting 
grass.  Energetically  gesticulating  with  this  grace¬ 
ful  implement,  he  thus  challenged  his  judge  s  atten- 


128 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


tion :  ‘  You,  Hamood,  do  you  hear  ?’  (stretching 
out  at  the  same  time  the  hook  towards  the  gover¬ 
nor,  so  as  almost  to  reach  his  body,  as  though  he 
meant  to  rip  him  open  ;)  ‘  he  has  taken  from  me 
my  came]  ;  have  you  called  God  to  mind  ?’  (again 
putting  his  weapon  close  to  the  unflinching  magis¬ 
trate  ;)  ‘  the  camel  is  my  camel ;  do  you  hear  ?’  (with 
another  reminder  from  the  reaping  hook  ;)  ‘he  is 
mine,  by  God’s  award  and  yours  too  ;  do  you  hear, 
child  ?’  and  so  on,  while  Hamood  sat  without  mov¬ 
ing  a  muscle  of  face  or  limb,  imperturbable  and  im¬ 
passible,  till  some  one  of  the  counsellors  quieted  the 
plaintiff,  with  ‘  Bemember  God,  child  ;  it  is  of  no 
consequence,  you  shall  not  be  wronged.’  Then  the 
judge  called  on  the  witnesses,  men  of  the  Djowf,  to 
say  their  say,  and  on  their  confirmation  of  the  Be¬ 
douin’s  statement,  gave  orders  to  two  of  his  satel¬ 
lites  to  search  for  and  bring  before  him  the  accused 
party  ;  while  he  added  to  the  Ma’azee,  ‘  All  right, 
daddy,  you  shall  have  your  own  ;  put  your  confi¬ 
dence  in  God,’  and  composedly  motioned  him  back 
to  his  place. 

“  A  fortnight  and  more  went  by,  and  found  us  still 
in  the  Djowf,  ‘  honored  guests  ’  in  Arab  phrase,  and 
well  rested  from  the  bygone  fatigues  of  the  desert. 
Ghafil’s  dwelling  was  still,  so  to  speak,  our  official 
home ;  but  there  were  two  other  houses  where  we 
were  still  more  at  our  ease  ;  that  of  Dafee,  the 
same  who  along  with  Ghafilcame  to  meet  us  on  our 
first  arrival ;  and  that  of  Salim,  a  respectable  and, 
m  his  way,  a  literary  old  man,  our  near  neighbor,  and 
surrounded  by  a  large  family  of  fine  strapping  youths, 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


129 


all  of  them  brought  up  more  or  less  in  the  fear  of 
Allah  and  in  good  example.  Hither  we  used  to 
retire  when  wearied  of  Ghafil  and  his  like,  and  pass 
a  quiet  hour  in  their  K’hawah,  reciting  or  hearing 
Arab  poetry,  talking  over  the  condition  of  the  coun¬ 
try  and  its  future  prospects,  discussing  points  of  mo¬ 
rality,  or  commenting  on  the  ways  and  fashions  of 
the  day.” 

The  important  question  for  the  travellers  was 
how  they  should  get  to  Hjebel  Shomer,  the  great 
fertile  oasis  to  the  south,  under  the  rule  of  the  fa¬ 
mous  Prince  Telal?  The  terrible  Nefood ,  or  sand- 
passes,  which  the  Arabs  themselves  look  upon  with 
dread,  must  be  crossed,  and  it  was  now  the  middle 
of  summer.  The  hospitable  people  of  the  Hjowf 
begged  Palgrave  and  his  friends  to  remain  until 
September,  and  they  probably  would  have  been  de¬ 
layed  for  some  time,  but  for  a  lucky  chance.  The 
Azzam  tribe  of  Bedouins,  which  had  been  attacked 
by  Prince  Telal,  submitted,  and  a  dozen  of  their 
chiefs  arrived  at  the  Hjowf,  on  their  way  to  Djebel 
Shomer,  where  they  purposed  to  win  Telal’s  good 
graces  by  tendering  him  their  allegiance  in  his  very 
capital.  Hamood  received  them,  and  lodged  them 
for  several  days,  while  they  rested  from  their  past 
fatigues,  and  prepared  themselves  for  what  yet  lay 
before  them.  Some  inhabitants  of  the  Djowf, 
whose  business  required  their  presence  at  Ha’yel, 
were  to  join  the  party.  “Hamood  sent  for  us,” 
Palgrave  continues,  “  and  gave  us  notice  of  this  ex¬ 
pedition,  and  on  our  declaring  that  we  desired  tc 
profit  by  it,  he  handed  us  a  scrap  of  paper,  ad- 


130 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


dressed  to  Telal  himself,  wherein  he  certified  that 
we  had  duly  paid  the  entrance  fee  exacted  from 
strangers  on  their  coming  within  the  limits  of  Sho- 
mer  rule,  and  that  we  were  indeed  respectable  indi¬ 
viduals,  worthy  of  all  good  treatment.  We  then, 
in  presence  of  Hamood,  struck  our  bargain  with 
one  of  the  band  for  a  couple  of  camels,  whose 
price,  including  all  the  services  of  their  master  as 
guide  and  companion  for  ten  days  of  July  travel¬ 
ling,  was  not  extravagant  either ;  it  came  up  to  just 
a  hundred  and  ten  piastres,  equivalent  to  eighteen 
or  nineteen  shillings  of  English  money. 

“  Many  delays  occurred,  and  it  was  not  till  the 
18th  of  July,  when  the  figs  were  fully  ripe — a  cir¬ 
cumstance  which  furnished  the  natives  of  Djowf 
with  new  cause  of  wonder  at  our  rushing  away,  in 
lieu  of  waiting  like  rational  beings  to  enjoy  the 
good  things  of  the  land — that  we  received  our  final 
‘  Son  of  Hodeirah,  depart.’  This  was  intimated  to 
us,  not  by  a  locust,  but  by  a  creature  almost  as 
queer,  namely,  our  new  conductor,  a  half  cracked 
Arab,  neither  peasant  nor  Bedouin,  but  something 
anomalous  between  the  two,  liight  Djedey’,  and  a 
native  of  the  outskirts  of  Djebel  Shomer,  who  dar¬ 
kened  our  door  in  the  forenoon,  and  warned  us  to 
make  our  final  packing  up,  and  get  ready  for  start¬ 
ing  the  same  day. 

“  When  once  clear  of  the  houses  and  gardens, 
Djedey’  led  us  by  a  road  skirting  the  southern  side 
of  the  valley,  till  we  arrived,  before  sunset,  at  the 
other,  or  eastern  extremity  of  the  town.  Here  was 
the  rendezvous  agreed  on  by  our  companions ;  but 


RESIDENCE  IN  THE  DJOWF. 


131 


they  did  not  appear,  and  reason  good,  for  they  had 
right  to  a  supper  more  under  Hamood’s  roof,  and 
were  loth  to  lose  it.  So  we  halted  and  alighted 
alone.  The  chief  of  this  quarter,  which  is  above 
two  miles  distant  from  the  castle,  invited  us  to  sup¬ 
per,  and  thence  we  returned  to  our  baggage,  there 
to  sleep.  To  pass  a  summer’s  night  in  the  open  air 
on  a  soft  sand  bed,  implies  no  great  privation  in 
these  countries,  nor  is  any  one  looked  on  as  a  hero 
for  so  doing. 

“Early  next  morning,  while  Yenus  yet  shone  like 
a  drop  of  melted  silver  on  the  slaty  blue,  three  of 
our  party  arrived  and  announced  that  the  rest  of 
our  companions  would  soon  come  up.  Encouraged 
by  the  news,  we  determined  to  march  on  without 
further  tarrying,  and  ere  sunrise  we  climbed  the 
steep  ascent  of  the  southerly  bank,  whence  we  had 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  whole  length  of  the 
Djowf,  its  castle  and  towers,  and  groves  and  gar¬ 
dens,  in  the  ruddy  light  of  morning,  and  beyond 
the  drear  northern  deserts  stretching  far  away. 
We  then  dipped  down  the  other  side  of  the  border¬ 
ing  hill,  not  again  to  see  the  Djowf  till — who 
knows  when?” 


CHAPTER  X. 


PALGRAVE’s  TRAVELS — CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 

UR  way  was  now  to  the  southeast,  across  a 


large  plain  varied  with  sand-mounds  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  the  ghada  bush,  already  described,  so  that 
our  camels  were  much  more  inclined  to  crop  pasture 
than  to  do  their  business  in  journeying  ahead. 
About  noon  we  halted  near  a  large  tuft  of  this 
shrub,  at  least  ten  feet  high.  We  constructed  a  sort 
of  cabin  with  boughs  broken  off  the  neighboring 
plants  and  suitably  arranged  shedwise,  and  thus 
passed  the  noon  hours  of  intolerable  heat  till  the 
whole  band  came  in  sight. 

“  They  were  barbarous,  nay,  almost  savage  fel¬ 
lows,  like  most  Sherarat,  whether  chiefs  or  people  j 
but  they  had  been  somewhat  awed  by  the  grandeurs 
of  Hamood,  and  yet  more  so  by  the  prospect  of  com¬ 
ing  so  soon  before  the  terrible  majesty  of  Telal  him¬ 
self.  All  wrere  duly  armed,  and  had  put  on  their  best 
suits  of  apparel,  an  equipment  worthy  of  a  scare¬ 
crow  or  of  an  Irishman  at  a  wake.  Tattered  red 
overalls  ;  cloaks  with  more  patches  than  original 
substance,  or,  worse  yet,  which  opened  large  mouths 


CROSSING  T1IE  NEFOOD. 


133 


to  cry  for  patching,  but  had  not  got  it ;  little  broken 
tobacco  pipes,  and  no  trousers  soever  (by  the  way, 
all  genuine  Arabs  are  sans-culottes ;)  faces  meagre 
with  habitual  hunger,  and  black  with  dirt  and 
weather  stains ; — such  were  the  high-born  chiefs  of 
Azzam,  on  their  way  to  the  king’s  levee.  Along 
with  them  were  two  Bedouins  of  the  Shomer  tribe,  a 
degree  better  in  guise  and  person  than  the  Shera- 
rat ;  and  lastly,  three  men  of  Djowf,  who  looked 
almost  like  gentlemen  among  such  ragamuffins.  As 
to  my  comrade  and  myself,  I  trust  that  the  reader 
will  charitably  suppose  us  the  exquisites  of  the  par¬ 
ty.  So  we  rode  on  together. 

“  Next  morning,  a  little  after  sunrise,  we  arrived 
at  a  white  calcareous  valley,  girt  round  with  low 
hills  of  marl  and  sand.  Here  was  the  famous  Be’er 
Shekeek,  or  “  well  of  Shekeek,”  whence  we  were  to 
fill  our  water-skins,  and  that  thoroughly,  since  no 
other  source  lay  before  us  for  four  days’  march  amid 
the  sand  passes,  up  to  the  very  verge  of  Djebel  Sho¬ 
mer. 

•  “  Daughters  of  the  Great  Desert,  to  use  an  Arab 
phrase,  the  *  Nefood,’  or  sand  passes,  bear  but  too 
strong  a  family  resemblance  to  their  unamiable  mo¬ 
ther.  What  has  been  said  elsewhere  about  their 
origin,  their  extent,  their  bearings,  and  their  con¬ 
nection  with  the  D’hana,  or  main  sand  waste  of  the 
south,  may  exempt  me  from  here  entering  on  a 
minute  enarration  of  all  their  geographical  details  ; 
let  it  suffice  for  the  present  that  they  are  offshoots 
— inlets,  one  might  not  unsuitably  call  them — of  the 
great  ocean  of  sand  that  covers  about  one  third  of 


134 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


the  peninsula,  into  whose  central  and  comparatively 
fertile  plateau  they  make  deep  inroads,  nay,  in  some 
places  almost  intersect  it.  Their  general  character, 
of  which  file  following  pages  will,  I  trust,  give  a 
tolerably  correct  idea,  is  also  that  of  Dahna,  or 
‘red  desert,’  itself.  The  Arabs,  always  prone  to 
localize  rather  than  generalize,  count  these  sand- 
streams  by  scores,  but  they  may  all  be  referred  to 
four  principal  courses,  and  he  who  would  traverse 
the  centre  must  necessarily  cross  two  of  them,  per¬ 
haps  even  three,  as  we  did. 

“  The  general  type  of  Arabia  is  that  of  a  central 
table-land,  surrounded  by  a  desert  ring,  sandy  to 
the  south,  west,  and  east,  and  stony  to  the  north. 
This  outlying  circle  is  in  its  turn  girt  by  a  line  of 
mountains,  low  and  sterile  for  the  most,  but  attain¬ 
ing  in  Yemen  and  Oman  considerable  height, 
breadth,  and  fertility,  while  beyond  these  a  narrow 
rim  of  coast  is  bordered  by  the  sea.  The  surface 
of  the  midmost  table-land  equals  somewhat  less 
than  one  half  of  the  entire  peninsula,  and  its  spe¬ 
cial  demarcations  are  much  affected,  nay,  often  ab¬ 
solutely  fixed,  by  the  windings  and  in-runnings  of 
the  Nefood.  If  to  these  cen'ral  highlands,  or  Ned- 
jed,  taking  that  word  in  its  wider  sense,  we  add  the 
Djowf,  the  Ta’yif,  Djebel  ’Aaseer,  Yemen,  Oman, 
and  Hasa,  in  short,  whatever  spots  of  fertility 
belong  to  the  outer  circles,  we  shall  find  that  Arabia 
contains  about  two  thirds  of  cultivated,  or  at  least 
of  cultivable  land,  with  a  remaining  third  of  irre¬ 
claimable  desert,  chiefly  to  the  south.  In  most 
other  directions  the  great  blank  spaces  often  left  in 


CAPTAIN  BURTON  AS  A  PILGRIM 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD . 


135 


maps  of  this  country  are  quite  as  frequently  indi¬ 
cations  of  non-information  as  of  real  non-inliabita- 
tion.  However,  we  have  just  now  a  strip,  though 
fortunately  only  a  strip,  of  pure,  unmitigated  desert 
before  us,  after  which  better  lands  await  us ;  and 
in  this  hope  let  us  take  courage,  and  boldly  enter 
the  Nefood. 

“  Much  had  we  heard  of  them  from  Bedouins 
and  countrymen,  so  that  we  had  made  up  our  minds 
to  something  very  terrible  and  very  impracticable. 
But  the  reality,  especially  in  these  dog  days,  proved 
worse  than  aught  heard  or  imagined. 

“  We  were  now  traversing  an  immense  ocean  of 
loose  reddish  sand,  unlimited  to  the  eye,  and 
heaped  up  in  enormous  ridges,  running  parallel  to 
each  other  from  north  to  south,  undulation  after  un¬ 
dulation,  each  swell  two  or  three  hundred  feet  in 
average  height,  with  slant  sides  and  rounded  crests 
furrowed  in  every  direction  by  the  capricious  gales 
of  the  desert.  In  the  depths  between  the  traveller 
finds  himself  as  it  were  imprisoned  in  a  suffocating 
sand-pit,  hemmed  in  by  burning  walls  on  every  side  ; 
while  at  other  times,  while  laboring  up  the  slope,  he 
overlooks  what  seems  a  vast  sea  of  fire,  swelling 
under  a  heavy  monsoon  wind,  and  ruffled  by  a  cross 
blast  into  little  red-hot  waves.  Neither  shelter  nor 
rest  for  eye  or  limb  amid  torrents  of  light  and  heat 
poured  from  above  on  an  answering  glare  reflected 
below.  Add  to  this  the  weariness  of  long  summer 
days  of  toiling — I  might  better  say  wading — through 
the  loose  and  scorching  soil,  on  drooping,  half- 
stupefied  beasts,  with  few  and  interrupted  hours  of 


136 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


sleep  at  night,  and  no  rest  by  day  because  no  shel¬ 
ter,  little  to  eat  and  less  to  drink,  while  the  tepid 
and  discolored  water  in  the  skins  rap  rlly  diminishes, 
even  more  by  evaporation  than  by  use,  and  a  ver¬ 
tical  sun,  such  a  sun,  strikes  blazing  down  till  clothes, 
baggage,  and  housings  all  take  the  smell  of  burning, 
and  scarce  permit  the  touch.  The  boisterous  gaiety 
of  the  Bedouins  was  soon  expended,  and  scattered, 
one  to  front,  another  behind,  each  pursued  his  way 
in  silence  only  broken  by  the  angry  snarl  of  the 
camels  when  struck,  as  they  often  were,  to  improve 
their  pace. 

“  It  was  on  the  20tli  of  July,  a  little  after  noon, 
that  we  had  left  Be’er  Shekeek.  The  rest  of  that 
day  and  almost  all  night  we  journeyed  on,  for  here 
three  or  four  hours  of  repose  at  a  time,  supper 
included,  was  all  that  could  be  taken,  since,  if  we 
did  not  reach  the  other  side  of  the  Nefood  before 
our  store  of  water  was  exhausted,  we  were  lost 
for  certain.  Indeed,  during  the  last  twenty-four 
hours  of  these  passes,  to  call  them  by  their  Arab 
name,  we  had  only  one  hour  of  halt.  Monday, 
the  21st  of  July,  wore  slowly  away,  most  slowly  it 
seemed,  in  the  same  labor,  and  amid  the  same  un¬ 
varying  scene.  The  loose  sand  hardly  admits  of 
any  vegetation  ;  even  the  ghada,  which,  like  many 
other  Euphorbias,  seems  hardly  to  require  either 
earth  or  moisture  for  its  sustenance,  is  here  scant 
and  miserably  stunted  ;  none  can  afford  either  shel¬ 
ter  or  pasture.  Sometimes  a  sort  of  track  appears, 
more  often  none  ;  the  moving  surface  has  long  since 
lost  the  traces  of  those  who  last  crossed  it. 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD . 


137 


“  About  this  time  we  noticed  in  the  manner  of 
our  Sherarat  companions,  especially  the  younger 
ones,  a  certain  insolent  familiarity  which  put  us 
much  on  our  guard ;  for  it  is  the  custom  of  the 
Bedouin,  when  meditating  plunder  or  treachery,  to 
try  the  ground  first  in  this  fashion,  and  if  he  sees 
any  signs  of  timidity  or  yielding  in  his  intended 
victim,  he  takes  it  as  a  signal  for  proceeding  further. 
The  best  plan  in  such  cases  is  to  put  on  a  sour  face 
and  keep  silence,  with  now  and  then  a  sharp  repri¬ 
mand  by  way  of  intimidation,  and  this  often  cows 
the  savage,  just  as  a  barking  dog  will  shrink  back 
under  a  steady  look.  Such  was  accordingly  our 
conduct  on  the  present  occasion.  We  kept  apart 
for  hours  at  a  time,  and  when  alongside  of  the 
brigands,  said  little,  and  that  little  anything  but 
friendly.  Before  long  the  more  impudent  appeared 
abashed  or  embarrassed,  and  fell  back,  while  an  old 
Azzam  chief,  with  a  dry  face  like  a  withered  crab- 
apple,  pushed  his  dromedary  up  alongside  of  mine, 
under  pretext  of  seeking  medical  advice,  but  in 
reality  to  make  thus  a  proffer  of  friendliness  and  re¬ 
spect.  Of  course  I  met  his  advances  with  cold  and 
sullen  reserve  ;  and  hereon  he  began  to  apologize 
for  the  ‘  Ghushm,’  ‘  ill-bred  clowns  ’  of  his  party,  as¬ 
suring  us  that  they  had,  however,  no  bad  intention  ; 
that  it  was  merely  want  of  good  education  ;  that  all 
were  our  brothers,  our  servants,  etc.,  etc. 

“  X  afterwards  learned  from  the  Shomer  Bedouins 
and  from  the  men  of  Djowf,  that  the  worthy  She¬ 
rarat,  supposing  us  to  have  amassed  great  wealth 
under  Ha  mood’s  patronage,  had  seriously  proposed 


138 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


to  take  the  opportunity  of  this  desert  solitude  to 
pillage  us,  and  then  leave  us  without  water  or 
camels  to  find  our  way  out  of  the  Nefood  as  best 
we  might,  that  is,  never.  This  little  scheme  they 
had  communicated  to  the  Shomer,  hoping  for  their 
compliance  and  aid.  But  these  last,  more  accus¬ 
tomed  to  the  restraints  of  neighboring  rule,  were 
afraid  of  the  consequences  ;  knowing,  too,  that  Telal, 
if  anyhow  informed  of  such  proceedings,  might 
very  possibly  constitute  himself  our  sole  legatee, 
executor,  and  something  more.  Accordingly  they 
refused  to  join,  and  the  conspirators,  who  perceived 
from  our  manner  that  we  already  had  some  suspicion 
about  their  intentions,  hastened  to  plaster  matters 
over  before  we  should  be  in  a  way  to  compromise 
their  position  at  Ha’yel,  by  complaints  of  their 
meditated  treachery, 

“  Near  sunset  of  the  second  day  we  came  in  sight 
of  two  lonely  pyramidal  peaks  of  dark  granite,  ris¬ 
ing  amid  the  sand-waves  full  in  our  way.  *  ’Aalam- 
es-Sa’ad,’  the  people  call  them,  that  is,  4  the  signs 
of  good  luck,’  because  they  indicate  that  about  one- 
tliird  of  the  distance  from  Be’er-Shekeek  to  Djebel 
Shomer  has  been  here  passed.  They  stand  out  like 
islands,  or  rather  like  the  rocks  that  start  from  the 
sea  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tagus,  or  like  the  Mal- 
dive  group  in  the  midst  of  the  deep  Indian  Ocean. 
Their  roots  must  be  in  the  rocky  base  over  which 
this  upper  layer  of  sand  is  strewn  like  the  sea-water 
over  its  bed ;  we  shall  afterwards  meet  with  similar 
phenomena  in  other  desert  spots.  Here  the  under 
stratum  is  evidently  of  granite,  sometimes  it  is  cal- 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 


139 


careous.  As  to  the  average  depth  of  the  sand,  I 
should  estimate  it  at  about  four  hundred  feet,  but  it 
may  not  unfrequently  be  much  more  ;  at  least  I  have 
met  with  hollows  of  full  six  hundred  feet  in  perpen¬ 
dicular  descent. 

“  On  we  journeyed  with  the  ’Aalam-es-Sa’ad 
looming  dark  before  us,  till  when  near  midnight,  so 
far  as  I  could  calculate  by  the  stars,  our  only  time¬ 
piece,  (and  not  a  bad  one  in  these  clear  skies,)  we 
passed  close  under  the  huge  black  masses  of  rock. 
Vainly  had  I  flattered  myself  with  a  halt,  were  it 
but  of  half  an  hour,  on  the  occasion.  4  On  we 
swept,’  and  not  till  the  morning  star  rose  close  be¬ 
neath  the  Pleiades  was  the  word  given  to  dismount. 
We  tumbled  rather  than  lay  down  on  the  ground; 
and  before  sunrise  were  once  more  on  our  way. 

“  Soon  we  reached  the  summit  of  a  gigantic 
sand  ridge.  ‘  Look  there,’  said  Djedey’  to  us,  and 
pointed  forwards.  Far  off  on  the  extreme  horizon  a 
blue  cloud-like  peak  appeared,  and  another  some¬ 
what  lower  at  its  side.  ‘  Those  are  the  mountains 
of  Djobbah,  and  the  nearest  limits  of  Djebel 
Shomer,’  said  our  guide.  Considering  how  loose 
the  water-skins  now  flapped  at  the  camel’s  side,  my 
first  thought  was,  ‘  how  are  we  to  reach  them  ?  ’ 
All  the  band  seemed  much  of  the  same  mind,  for 
they  pushed  on  harder  than  before.” 

“  But  the  further  we  advanced  the  worse  did  the 
desert  grow,  more  desolate,  more  hopeless  in  its 
barren  waves  ;  and  at  noon  our  band  broke  up  into 
a  thorough  ‘  sauve  qui  peut ;  ’  some  had  already 
exhausted  their  provisions,  solid  or  liquid,  and 


140 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA . 


others  were  scarcely  better  furnished ;  every  one 
goaded  on  his  beast  to  reach  the  land  of  rest  and 
safety.  Djedey’,  my  comrade,  and  myself,  kept 
naturally  together.  On  a  sudden  my  attention  was 
called  to  two  or  three  sparrows,  twittering  under  a 
shrub  by  the  wayside.  They  were  the  first  birds  we 
had  met  with  in  this  desert,  and  indicated  our  ap¬ 
proach  to  cultivation  and  life.  I  bethought  me  ol 
tales  heard  in  childhood,  at  a  comfortable  fireside, 
how  some  far-wandering  sailors,  Columbus  and  his 
crew,  if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  after  days  and 
months  of  dreary  ocean,  welcomed  a  bird  that, 
borne  from  a  yet  undiscovered  coast,  first  settled  on 
their  mast.  My  comrade  fell  a-crying  for  very  joy, 

“  However  we  had  yet  a  long  course  before  us, 
and  we  ploughed  on  all  that  evening  with  scarce  an 
hour’s  halt  for  a  most  scanty  supper,  and  then  all 
night  up  and  down  the  undulating  labyrinth,  like 
men  in  an  enchanter  s  circle,  fated  always  to  journey 
and  never  to  advance.*’ 

“  Tiie  morning  broke  on  us  still  toiling  amid  the 
sands.  By  daylight  we  saw  our  straggling  com¬ 
panions  like  black  specks  here  and  there,  one  far 
ahead  on  a  yet  vigorous  dromedary,  another  in  the 
rear  dismounted,  and  urging  his  fallen  beast  to  rise 
by  plunging  a  knife  a  good  inch  deep  into  its 
haunces,  a  third  lagging  in  the  extreme  distance. 
Every  one  for  himself  and  God  for  us  all ! — so  we 
quickened  our  pace,  looking  anxiously  before  us  for 
the  hills  of  Djobbah,  which  could  not  now  be  distant. 
At  noon  we  came  in  sight  of  them  all  at  once,  close 
on  our  right,  wild  and  fantastic  cliffs,  rising  sheer  on 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 


141 


the  margin  of  the  sand  sea.  We  coasted  them 
awhile,  till  at  a  turn  the  whole  plain  of  Djobbah  and 
its  landscape  opened  on  our  view. 

“  Here  we  had  before  us  a  cluster  of  black  granite 
rock,  streaked  with  red,  and  about  seven  hundred 
feet,  at  a  rough  guess,  in  height ;  beyond  them  a 
large  barren  plain,  partly  white  and  encrusted  with 
salt,  partly  green  with  tillage,  and  studded  with 
palm  groves,  amongst  which  we  could  discern,  not 
far  off,  the  village  of  Djobbah,  much  resembling 
that  of  Djowf  in  arrangement  and  general  appear¬ 
ance,  only  smaller,  and  without  castle  or  tower. 
Beyond  the  valley  glistened  a  second  line  of  sand¬ 
hills,  but  less  wild  and  desolate  looking  than  those 
behind  us,  and  far  in  the  distance  the  main  range  of 
Djebel  Shomer,  a  long  purple  sierra  of  most  pictur¬ 
esque  outline.  Had  we  there  and  then  mounted, 
as  we  afterwards  did,  the  heights  on  our  right,  we 
should  have  also  seen  in  the  extreme  southwest  a 
green  patch  near  the  horizon,  where  cluster  the 
palm  plantations  of  Teymah,  a  place  famed  in  Arab 
history,  and  by  some  supposed  identical  with  the 
Teman  of  Holy  Writ. 

“But  for  the  moment  a  drop  of  fresh  water  and 
a  shelter  from  the  July  sun  was  much  more  in 
our  thoughts  than  all  the  Teymahs  or  Temans  that 
ever  existed.  My  camel,  too,  was  not  at  the  end  of 
his  wits,  for  he  never  had  any,  but  of  his  legs,  and 
hardly  capable  of  advance,  while  I  was  myself  too 
tired  to  urge  him  vigorously,  and  we  took  a  fair  hour 
to  cross  a  narrow  white  strip  of  mingled  salt  and 
sand  that  vet  intervened  between  us  and  the  village. 

1/  o 


142 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  Without  its  garden  walls  was  pitched  the  very 
identical  tent  of  our  noble  guide,  and  here  his  wife 
and  family  were  anxiously  awaiting  their  lord. 
Djedey’  invited  us — indeed  he  could  not  conform¬ 
ably  with  Shomer  customs  do  less — to  partake  of 
his  board  and  lodging,  and  we  had  no  better  course 
than  to  accept  of  both.  So  we  let  our  camels  fling 
themselves  out  like  dead  or  dying  alongside  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  entered  to  drink  water  mixed  with 
sour  milk.”  Here  the  caravan  rested  for  a  day. 

“  About  sunrise  on  the  25th  of  July  we  left  Djob- 
bah,  crossed  the  valley  to  the  southeast,  and  entered 
once  more  on  a  sandy  desert,  but  a  desert,  as  I  have 
before  hinted,  of  a  milder  and  less  inhospitable 
character  than  the  dreary  Nefood  of  two  days  back. 
Here  the  sand  is  thickly  sprinkled  with  shrubs,  and 
not  altogether  devoid  of  herbs  and  grass ;  while  the 
undulations  of  the  surface,  running  invariably  from 
north  to  south,  according  to  the  general  rule  of  that 
phenomenon,  are  much  less  deeply  traced,  though 
never  wholly  absent.  We  paced  on  all  day  ;  at 
nightfall  we  found  ourselves  on  the  edge  of  a  vast 
funnel-like  depression,  where  the  sand  recedes  on 
all  sides  to  leave  bare  the  chalky  bottom-strata  be¬ 
low  ;  here  lights  glimmering  amid  Bedouin  tents  in 
the  depths  of  the  valley  invited  us  to  try  our  chance 
of  a  preliminary  supper  before  the  repose  of  the 
night.  We  had,  however,  much  ado  to  descend  the 
cavity,  so  steep  was  the  sandy  slope  ;  while  its  cir¬ 
cular  form  and  spiral  marking  reminded  me  of  Edgar 
Poe’s  imaginative  ‘  Maelstrom.’  The  Arabs  to 
whom  the  watch-fires  belonged  were  shepherds  of 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 


143 


the  numerous  Shomer  tribe,  whence  the  district, 
plain  and  mountain,  takes*  it  name.  They  wel¬ 
comed  us  to  a  share  of  their  supper ;  and  a  good 
dish  of  rice,  instead  of  insipid  samh  or  pasty,  au¬ 
gured  a  certain  approach  to  civilization. 

At  bieak  of  day  we  resumed  our  march,  and 
met  with  camels  and  camel-drivers  in  abundance, 
besides  a  few  sheep  and  goats.  Before  noon  wo 
had  got  clear  of  the  sandy  patch,  and  entered  in  its 
stead  on  a  firm  gravelly  soil.  Here  we  enjoyed  an 
hour  of  midday  halt  and  shade  in  a  natural  cavern, 
hollowed  out  in  a  high  granite  rock,  itself  an  ad¬ 
vanced  guard  of  the  main  body  of  Djebel  Shomer. 
This  mountain  range  now  rose  before  us,  wholly  un¬ 
like  any  other  that  I  had  ever  seen  ;  a  huge  mass  of 
crag  and  stone,  piled  up  in  fastastic  disorder,  with 
green  valleys  and  habitations  intervening.  The  sun 
had  not  yet  set  when  we  reached  the  pretty  village 
of  Ken  ah,  amid  groves  and  waters — no  more,  how¬ 
ever,  running  streams  like  those  of  Djowf,  but  an 
artificial  irrigation  by  means  of  wells  and  buckets. 
At  some  distance  from  the  houses  stood  a  cluster  of 
three  or  four  large  over-shadowing  trees,  objects  of 
peasant  veneration  here,  as  once  in  Palestine.  The 
welcome  of  the  inhabitants,  when  we  dismounted  at 
their  doois,  was  hearty  and  hospitable,  nay,  even 
polite  and  considerate  ;  and  a  good  meal,  with  a  dish 
of  iiesli  grapes  for  dessert,  was  soon  set  before  us 
in  the  veranda  of  a  pleasant  little  house,  much  re¬ 
minding  me  ol  an  English  farm-cottage,  whither  the 
good  man  of  the  dwelling  had  invited  us  for  the 
e\  ening  All  expressed  great  desire  to  profit  by 


144 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


oui  medical  skill ;  and  on  our  reply  that  we  could 
not  conveniently  open  shop  except  at  the  capital 
Ha’yel,  several  announced  their  resolution  to  visit 
us  there ;  and  subsequently  kept  their  word,  thou  h 
at  the  cost  of  about  twenty-four  miles  of  journey. 

“  We  rose  very  early.  Our  path,  well  tracked 
and  trodden,  now  lay  between  ridges  of  precipitous 
rock,  rising  abruptly  from  a  level  and  grassy  plain  ; 
sometimes  the  road  was  sunk  in  deep  gorges,  some¬ 
times  it  o  ned  ou  on  wider  spaces,  where  trees 
and  villagers  appeared,  while  the  number  of  wayfar¬ 
ers,  on  foot  or  mounted,  single  or  in  bands,  still  in¬ 
creased  as  we  drew  nearer  to  the  capital.  There  was 
an  air  of  newness  and  security  about  the  dwellings 
and  plantations  hardly  to  be  found  now-a-dajs  in 
any  other  part  of  Arabia,  Oman  alone  excepted.  I 
may  add  also  the  great  frequency  of  young  trees 
and  ground  newly  enclosed,  a  cheerful  sight,  yet 
further  enhanced  by  the  total  absence  of  ruins,  so 
common  in  the  East ;  hence  the  general  eftect  pro¬ 
duced  by  Djebel  Sliomer,  when  contrasted  with 
most  other  provinces  or  kingdoms  around,  near  and 
far,  is  that  of  a  newly  coined  piece,  in  all  its  sharp¬ 
ness  and  shine,  amid  a  dingy  heap  of  defaced  cur¬ 
rency.  It  is  a  fresh  creation,  and  shows  what 
Arabia  might  be  under  better  rule  than  it  enjoys 
lor  the  most  part :  an  inference  rendered  the  more 
conclusive  by  the  fact  that  in  natural  and  unaided 
fertility  Djebel  Sliomer  is  perhaps  the  least  favored 
district  in  the  entire  central  peninsula. 

“  We  were  here  close  under  the  backbone  of 
Djebel  Shomer,  whose  reddish  crags  rose  in  the 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 


145 


Btrangest  forms  on  our  right  and  left,  while  a  narrow 
cleft  down  to  the  plain-level  below  gave  opening  to 
the  capital.  Very  hard  to  bring  an  army  through 
this  against  the  will  of  the  inhabitants,  thought  I ; 
fifty  resolute  men  could,  in  fact,  hold  the  pass 
against  thousands  ;  nor  is  there  any  other  approach 
to  Ha’yel  from  the  northern  direction.  The  town  is 
situated  near  the  very  centre  of  the  mountains ;  it 
was  as  yet  entirely  concealed  from  our  view  by  the 
windings  of  the  road  amid  huge  piles  of  rock. 
Meanwhile  from  Djobbah  to  Ha’yel,  the  whole  plain 
gradually  rises,  running  up  between  the  sierras, 
whose  course  from  northeast  to  southwest  crosses 
two- thirds  of  the  upper  peninsula,  and  forms  the 
outwork  of  the  central  high  country.  Hence  the 
name  of  Nedjed,  literally  *  highland,’  in  contradis¬ 
tinction  to  the  coast  and  the  outlying  provinces  of 
lesser  elevation. 

“  The  sun  was  yet  two  hours’  distance  above  the 
western  horizon,  when  we  threaded  the  narrow  and 
winding  defile,  till  we  arrived  at  its  further  end. 
Here  we  found  ourselves  on  the  verge  of  a  large 
plain,  many  miles  in  length  and  breadth,  and  girt 
on  every  side  by  a  high  mountain  rampart,  while 
right  in  front  of  us,  at  scarce  a  quarter  of  an 
hour’s  march,  lay  the  town  of  Ha’yel,  surrounded 
by  fortifications  of  about  twenty  feet  in  height, 
with  bastion  towers,  some  round,  some  square,  and 
large  folding  gates  at  intervals  ;  it  offered  the  same 
show  of  freshness,  and  even  of  something  like 
irregular  elegance  that  had  before  struck  us  in  the 
villages  on  our  way.  This,  however,  was  a  full- 


146 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


grown  town,  and  its  area  might  readily  hold  three 
bundled  thousand  inhabitants  or  more,  were  its» 
streets  and  houses  close  packed  like  those  of  Brus¬ 
sels  or  Paris.  But  the  number  of  citizens  does  not, 
in  fact,  exceed  twenty  or  twenty-two  thousand,' 
thanks  to  the  many  large  gardens,  open  spaces,  and 
even  plantations,  included  within  the  outer  walls, 
while  the  immense  palace  of  the  monarch  alone, 
with  its  pleasure  grounds  annexed,  occupies  about 
one  tenth  of  the  entire  city.  Our  attention  waa 
attracted  by  a  lofty  tower,  some  seventy  feet  in 
height,  of  recent  construction,  and  oval  form,  be¬ 
longing  to  the  royal  residence.  The  plain  all 
ai  ound  the  town  is  studded  with  isolated  houses 
and  gardens,  the  property  of  wealthy  citizens,  or  of 
members  of  the  kingly  family,  and  on  the  far  off 
skiits  of  the  plain  appear  the  groves  belonging  to 
Kafar,  ’Adwah,  and  other  villages,  placed  at  the 
openings  of  the  mountain  gorges  that  conduct  to 
the  capital.  The  town  walls  and  buildings  shone 
yellow  in  the  evening  sun,  and  the  whole  prospect 
was  one  of  thriving  security,  delightful  to  view, 
though  wanting  in  the  peculiar  luxuriance  of  vege¬ 
tation  offered  by  the  valley  of  Djowf.  A  few  Be¬ 
douin  tents  lay  clustered  close  by  the  ramparts,  and 
the  great  number  of  horsemen,  footmen,  camels, 
asses,  peasants,  townsmen,  boys,  women  and  other 
like,  all  passing  to  and  fro  on  their  various  avoca¬ 
tions,  gave  cheerfulness  and  animation  to  the  scene. 

‘ e  crossed  the  plain  and  made  for  the  town 
gate,  opposite  the  castle  ;  next,  with  no  little  diffi¬ 
culty,  prevailed  on  our  camels  to  pace  the  high- 


CROSSING  THE  NEFOOD. 


147 


walled  street,  and  at  last  arrived  at  the  open  space 
in  front  of  the  palace.  It  was  yet  an  hour  before 
sunset,  or  rather  more ;  the  business  of  the  day 
was  over  in  Ha’yel,  and  the  outer  courtyard  where 
we  now  stood  was  crowded  with  loiterers  of  all 
shapes  and  sizes.  We  made  our  camels  kneel 
down  close  by  the  palace  gate,  alongside  of  some 
forty  or  fifty  others,  and  then  stepped  back  to  re¬ 
pose  our  very  weary  limbs  on  a  stone  bench  oppo¬ 
site  the  portal,  and  waited  what  might  next  occur.” 


OHAPTEK  XI. 


PALGRAVE’s  TRAVELS. — LIFE  IN  Ha’yEL. 

AT  our  first  appearance  a  slight  stir  takes  place. 

The  customary  salutations  are  given  and  re¬ 
turned  by  those  nearest  at  hand ;  and  a  small  knot 
of  inquisitive  idlers,  come  up  to  see  what  and 
whence  we  are,  soon  thickens  into  a  dense  circle. 
Many  questions  are  asked,  first  of  our  conductor, 
Djedey’,  and  next  of  ourselves ;  our  answers  are 
tolerably  laconic.  Meanwhile  a  thin,  middle-sized 
individual,  whose  countenance  bears  the  type  of 
smiling  urbanity  and  precise  etiquette,  befitting  his 
office  at  court,  approaches  us.  His  neat  and  simple 
dress,  the  long  silver-circled  staff  in  his  hand,  his 
respectful  salutation,  his  politely  important  manner, 
all  denote  him  one  of  the  palace  retinue.  It  is 
Seyf,  the  court  chamberlain,  whose  special  duty  is 
the  reception  and  presentation  of  strangers.  We 
rise  to  receive  him,  and  are  greeted  with  a  decorous, 
4  Peace  be  with  you,  brothers,’  in  the  fullness  of 
every  inflection  and  accent  that  the  most  scrupulous 
grammarian  could  desire.  We  return  an  equally 
Priscianic  salutation.  ‘  Whence  have  you  come  ? 


LIFE  IN  HA'  TEL. 


149 


may  good  attend  you!’  is  the  first  question.  Of 
course  we  declare  ourselves  physicians  from  Syria, 
for  our  bulkier  wares  had  been  disposed  of  in  the 
Djowf,  and  we  were  now  resolved  to  depend  on 
medical  practice  alone.  1  And  what  do  you  desire 
here  in  our  town  ?  may  God  grant  you  success  !’ 
^ays  Seyf.  ‘  We  desire  the  favor  of  God  most  high, 
and,  secondly,  that  of  Telal,’  is  our  answer,  con¬ 
forming  our  style  to  the  correctest  formulas  of  the 
country,  which  we  had  already  begun  to  pick  up. 
Whereupon  Seyf,  looking  very  sweet  the  while,  be¬ 
gins,  as  in  duty  bound,  a  little  encomium  on  his 
master’s  generosity  and  other  excellent  qualities, 
and  assures  us  that  we  have  exactly  reached  right 
quarters. 

“  But  alas !  while  my  comrade  and  myself  were 
exchanging  side-glances  of  mutual  felicitation  at 
such  fair  beginnings,  Nemesis  suddenly  awoke  to 
claim  her  due,  and  the  serenity  of  our  horizon  was 
at  once  overcast  by  an  unexpected  and  most  unwel¬ 
come  cloud.  My  readers  are  doubtless  already 
aware  that  nothing  was  of  higher  importance  for  us 
than  the  most  absolute  incognito,  above  all  in  what¬ 
ever  regarded  European  origin  and  character.  In 
fact,  once  known  for  Europeans,  all  intimate  access 
and  sincerity  of  intercourse  with  the  people  of  the 
land  would  have  been  irretrievably  lost,  and  our  on¬ 
ward  progress  to  Nedjed  rendered  totally  impossible. 
These  were  the  very  least  inconveniences  that  could 
follow  such  a  detection  ;  others  much  more  disagree¬ 
able  might  also  be  well  apprehended.  Now  thus 
far  nothing  had  occurred  capable  of  exciting  serious 


150 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA . 


suspicion  ;  no  one  had  recognized  us,  or  pretended 
to  recognize.  We,  too,  on  our  part,  liad  thought 
that  Gaza,  Ma’an,  and  perhaps  the  Djowf,  were  the 
only  localities  where  this  kind  of  recognition  had  to 
be  feared.  But  we  had  reckoned  without  our  host ; 
the  first  real  danger  was  reserved  for  Ha’yel,  within 
the  very  limits  of  Nedjed,  and  with  all  the  desert- 
belt  between  us  and  our  old  acquaintances. 

“For  while  Seyf  was  running  through  the  pre¬ 
liminaries  of  his  politeness,  I  saw  to  my  horror 
amid  the  circle  of  bystanders  a  figure,  a  face  well 
known  to  me  scarce  six  months  before  in  Damascus, 
and  well  known  to  many  others  also,  now  merchant, 
now  trader,  now  post-contractor,  shrewd,  enter¬ 
prising  and  active,  though  nigh  fifty  years  of  age, 
and  intimate  with  many  Europeans  of  considerable 
standing  in  Syria  and  Bagdad — one,  in  short,  ac¬ 
customed  to  all  kinds  of  men,  and  not  to  be  easily 
imposed  on  by  any. 

“  While  I  involuntarily  stared  dismay  on  my 
friend,  and  yet  doubted  if  it  could  possibly  be  he, 
all  incertitude  was  dispelled  by  his  cheerful  salu¬ 
tation,  in  the  confidential  tone  of  an  old  acquaint¬ 
ance,  followed  by  wondering  inquiries  as  to  what 
wind  had  blown  me  hither,  and  what  I  meant  to  do 
here  in  Ha’yel. 

“  Wishing  him  most  heartily — somewhere  else,  I 
had  nothing  for  it  but  to  ‘  fix  a  vacant  stare,’  to  give 
a  formal  return  of  greeting,  and  then  silence. 

“But  misfortunes  never  come  single.  While  I 
was  thus  on  my  defensive  against  so  dangerous  an 
antagonist  in  the  person  of  my  free  and  easy  friend, 


LIFE  IN  HA'YEL . 


151 


io!  a  tall,  sinister-featured  individual  comes  up, 
clad  in  the  dress  of  an  inhabitant  of  Kaseem,  and 
abruptly  breaks  in  with,  ‘  And  I  too  have  seen  him 
at  Damascus,’  naming  at  the  same  time  the  place 
and  date  of  the  meeting,  and  specifying  exactly  the 
circumstances  most  calculated  to  set  me  down  for  a 
genuine  European. 

“  Had  he  really  met  me  as  he  said  ?  I  cannot 
precisely  say ;  the  place  he  mentioned  was  one 
whither  men,  half  spies,  half  travellers,  and  whole 
intriguers  from  the  interior  districts,  nay,  even  from 
Nedjed  itself,  not  un  frequently  resort ;  and,  as  I  my¬ 
self  was  conscious  of  having  paid  more  than  one 
visit  there,  my  officious  interlocutor  might  very 
possibly  have  been  one  of  those  present  on  some 
such  occasion.  So  that  although  I  did  not  now  re¬ 
cognize  him  in  particular,  there  was  a  strong  in¬ 
trinsic  probability  in  favor  of  his  ill-timed  veracity ; 
and  his  thus  coming  in  to  support  the  first  witness 
in  his  assertions,  rendered  my  predicament,  already 
unsafe,  yet  worse. 

“  But  ere  I  could  frame  an  answer  or  resolve  what 
course  to  hold,  up  came  a  third,  who,  by  overshoot¬ 
ing  the  mark,  put  the  game  into  our  hands.  He  too 
salaams  me  as  an  old  friend,  and  then,  turning  to 
those  around,  now  worked  up  to  a  most  extraor¬ 
dinary  pitch  of  amazed  curiosity,  says,  4  And  I  also 
know’  him  perfectly  wrell ;  I  have  often  met  him  at 
Cairo,  where  he  lives  in  great  wealth  in  a  large 
house  near  the  Kasr-el-’Eynee ;  his  name  is  ’Abd- 
es-Saleeb  ;  he  is  married,  and  has  a  very  beautiful 
daughter,  wdio  rides  an  expensive  horse,’  etc. 


152 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


‘ 5  Here  at  last  was  a  pure  invention  or  mistake 
(for  I  know  not  which  it  was)  that  admitted  of  a 
flat  denial.  £  Aslahek  Allah,’  ‘  May  Heaven  set  you 
right,’  said  I ;  £  never  did  I  live  at  Cairo,  nor  have  I 
the  blessing  of  any  horse-riding  young  ladies  for 
daughters.  Then,  looking  very  hard  at  my  second 
detector,  towards  whom  I  had  all  the  right  of  doubt, 
‘  I  do  not  remember  having  ever  seen  you  ;  think 
well  as  to  what  you  say  ;  many  a  man  besides  my¬ 
self  has  a  reddish  beard  and  straw-colored  mus¬ 
taches,’  taking  pains  however  not  to  seem  particu¬ 
larly  ‘  careful  to  answer  him  in  this  matter,’  but  as 
if  merely  questioning  the  precise  identity.  But  for 
the  first  of  the  trio  I  knew  not  what  to  do  or  to  re¬ 
ply,  so  I  continued  to  look  at  him  with  a  killing  air 
of  inquisitive  stupidity,  as  though  not  fully  under¬ 
standing  his  meaning. 

“But  Seyf,  though  himself  at  first  somewhat 
staggered  by  this  sudden  downpour  of  recognition, 
was  now  reassured  by  the  discomfiture  of  the  third 
witness,  and  came  to  the  convenient  conclusion  that 
the  two  others  were  no  better  worthy  of  credit. 
Never  mind  them,’  exclaimed  he,  addressing  him¬ 
self  to  us,  they  are  talkative  liars,  mere  gossipers  j 
let  them  alone,  they  do  not  deserve  attention  ;  come 
along  with  me  to  the  k’hawah  in  the  palace,  and 
rest  yourselves.’  Then  turning  to  my  poor  Damas¬ 
cene  friend,  whose  only  wrong  was  to  have  been 
over-much  in  the  right,  he  sharply  chid  him,  and 
next  the  rest,  and  led  us  off,  most  glad  to  follow  the 
leader,  through  the  narrow  and  dark  portal  into  tin 
royal  residence. 


LIFE  IX  HA'YEL. 


153 


“  Here  we  remained  whilst  coffee  was,  as  wont, 
prepared  and  served.  Seyf,  who  had  left  ns  awhile, 
now  came  back  to  say  that  Telal  would  soon  return 
from  his  afternoon  wTalk  in  a  garden  where  he  had 
been  taking  the  air,  and  that  if  we  would  pass  into 
the  outer  court  we  should  then  and  there  have  the 
opportunity  of  paying  him  our  introductory  respects. 
He  added  that  we  should  afterwards  find  our  supper 
ready,  and  be  pro\  ided  also  with  good  lodgings  for 
the  night ;  finally,  that  the  k’hawah  and  what  it 
contained  were  always  at  our  disposition  so  loug  as 
we  should  honor  Ha’yel  by  our  preseuce. 

“We  rose  accordingly  and  returned  with  Seyf  to 
the  outside  area.  It  was  fuller  than  ever,  on  account 
of  the  expected  appearance  of  the  monarch.  A 
few  minutes  later  we  saw  a  crowd  approach  from 
the  upper  extremity  of  the  place,  namely,  that 
towards  the  market.  When  the  new-comers  drew 
near,  we  saw'  them  to  be  almost  exclusively  armed 
men,  with  some  of  the  more  important-looking  citi¬ 
zens,  but  all  on  foot.  In  the  midst  of  this  circle, 
though  detached  from  those  around  them,  slowly 
advanced  three  personages,  whose  dress  and  de¬ 
portment,  together  with  the  respectful  distance  ob¬ 
served  by  the  rest,  announced  superior  rank.  ‘  Here 
comes  Telal,’  said  Seyf,  i*  an  undertone. 

“  The  midmost  figure  was  in  fact  that  of  the 
prince  himself.  Short  of  stature,  broad-shouldered, 
aud.  strongly  built,  of  a  very  dusky  complexion, 
with  long  black  hair,  dark  and  piercing  eyes,  and  a 
^ounten  mce  rather  severe  than  open,  Telal  might 
lead'b,  ’--e  supposed  above  forty  years  in  age,  though 


154 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


he  is  in  fact  thirty-seven  or  thirty-eight  at  most. 
His  step  was  measured,  his  demeanor  grave  and 
somewhat  haughty.  His  dress,  a  long  robe  of 
Cachemire  shawl,  covered  the  white  Arab  shirt,  and 
over  all  he  wore  a  delicately  worked  cloak  of  camel’s 
hair  from  Oman,  a  great  rarity,  and  highly  valued 
in  this  part  of  Arabia.  His  head  was  adorned  by 
a  broidered  handkerchief,  in  which  silk  and  gold 
thread  had  not  been  spared,  and  girt  by  a  broad 
band  of  camel’s  hair  entwined  with  red  silk,  the 
manufacture  of  Meshid  ’Alee.  A  gold-mounted 
sword  hung  by  his  side,  and  his  dress  was  perfumed 
with  musk,  in  a  degree  better  adapted  to  Arab  than 
to  European  nostrils.  His  glance  never  rested  for 
a  moment ;  sometimes  it  turned  on  his  nearer  com¬ 
panions,  sometimes  on  the  crowd ;  I  have  seldom 
seen  so  truly  an  4  eagle  eye,’  in  rapidity  and  in  bril¬ 
liancy. 

“By  his  side  walked  a  tall,  thin  individual,  clad  in 
garments  of  somewhat  less  costly  material,  but  of 
gayer  colors  and  embroidery  than  those  of  the  king 
himself.  His  face  announced  unusual  intelligence 
and  courtly  politeness ;  his  sword  was  not,  however, 
adorned  with  gold,  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the 
royal  family,  but  with  silver  only. 

This  was  ZamiJ,  the  treasurer  and  prime  minister 
— sole  minister,  indeed,  of  the  autocrat.  [Raised 
from  beggary  by  Abdallah,  the  late  king,  who  had 
seen  in  the  ragged  orphan  signs  of  rare  capacity,  he 
continued  to  merit  the  uninterrupted  favor  of  his 
patron,  and  after  his  death  had  become  equally,  or 
yet  more  dear  to  Telal,  who  raised  him  from  post- 


LIFE  IE  HAY  EL. 


155 


to  post  till  lie  at  last  occupied  the  highest  position 
in  the  kingdom  after  the  monarch  himself.  Of  the 
demurely  smiling  Abd-el-Mahsin,  the  second  com¬ 
panion  of  the  king’s  evening  walk,  I  will  say  nothing 
for  the  moment ;  we  shall  have  him  before  long  for 
a  very  intimate  acquaintance  and  a  steady  friend. 

“  Every  one  stood  up  as  Telal  drew  nigh.  Seyf 
gave  us  a  sign  to  follow  him,  made  way  through  the 
crowd,  and  saluted  his  sovereign  with  the  authorized 
formula  of  ‘  Peace  be  with  you,  O  the  Protected  of 
God !’  Telal  at  once  cast  on  us  a  penetrating 
glance,  and  addressed  a  question  in  a  low  voice  to 
Seyf,  whose  answer  was  in  the  same  tone.  The 
prince  then  looked  again  towards  us,  but  with  a 
friendlier  expression  of  face.  We  approached  and 
touched  his  open  hand,  repeating  the  same  saluta¬ 
tion  as  that  used  by  Seyf.  No  bow,  hand-kissing, 
or  other  ceremony  is  customary  on  these  occasions. 
Telal  returned  our  greeting,  and  then,  without  a 
word  more  to  us,  whispered  a  moment  to  Seyf,  and 
passed  on  through  the  palace  gate. 

“  ‘  He  will  give  you  a  private  audience  to-morrow,’ 
said  Seyf,  £  and  I  will  take  care  that  you  have  notice 
of  it  in  due  time ;  meanwhile  come  to  supper.’  The 
sun  had  already  set  when  we  re-entered  the  palace. 
This  time,  after  passing  the  arsenal,  we  turned  aside 
into  a  large  square  court,  distinct  from  the  former, 
and  surrounded  by  an  open  veranda,  spread  with 
mats.  Two  large  ostriches,  presents  offered  to  Telal 
by  some  chiefs  of  the  Solibali  tribe,  strutted  about 
the  enclosure,  and  afforded  much  amusement  to  the 
negro  boys  and  scullions  of  the  establishment.  Seyf 


156 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


conducted  us  to  the  further  side  of  the  court,  where 
we  seated  ourselves  under  the  portico. 

“  Hither  some  black  slaves  immediately  brought 
the  supper;  the  ‘  piece  de  resistance  ’  was,  as  usual,  a 
huge  dish  of  rice  and  boiled  meat,  with  some  thin 
cakes  of  unleavened  bread  and  dates,  and  small 
onions  with  chopped  gourds  intermixed.  The 
cookery  was  better  than  what  we  had  heretofore 
ta-sted,  though  it  would,  perhaps,  have  hardly  passed 
muster  with  a  Yatel.  We  made  a  hearty  meal,  took 
coffee  in  the  k’hawah,  and  then  returned  to  sit 
awhile  and  smoke  our  pipes  in  the  open  air.  Needs 
not  say  how  lovely  are  the  summer  evenings,  how 
cool  the  breeze,  how  pure  the  sky,  in  these  moun¬ 
tainous  districts.” 

Palgrave  gives  a  historical  sketch  of  the  rise  of 
Prince  Telal  to  a  position  of  power  and  importance 
in  Central  Arabia,  scarcely  secondary  to  that  of  the 
Wahabee  ruler  of  Nedjed,  The  region  of  Djebel 
Shomer  was  subjected  to  the  Wahabee  rule  during 
the  last  century,  and  the  severe  discipline  of  the  new 
creed  was  forced  upon  its  inhabitants.  But,  after 
the  taking  of  Derreyeh  by  Ibrahim  Pasha,  the  peo¬ 
ple  regained  a  partial  independence,  and  a  rivalry 
for  the  chieftainship  ensued  between  the  two  noble 
houses  of  Djaaper  and  Beyt  Alee.  The  leader  of  the 
former  was  a  young  man  named  Abdallah,  of  more 
than  ordinary  character  and  intelligence,  wealthy 
and  popular.  But  he  was  defeated  in  the  struggle, 
and  about  the  year  1820  was  driven  into  exile. 

With  a  small  band  of  followers  he  reached  the 
Wady  Sirhan,  (traversed  by  Palgrave  on  his  way  to 


LIIE  IN  HA'YEL . 


157 


the  Djowf,)  where  they  were  attacked  by  the  Aney- 
zeh  Bedouins,  all  the  rest  slain,  and  Abdallah  left 
for  dead  on  the  sands.  The  Arab  story  is  that  the 
locusts  came  around  them,  scattered  the  sand  with 
their  wings  and  feet  upon  his  wounds  and  thus 
stopped  the  flow  of  blood,  while  a  flock  of  partridges 
hung  above  him  to  screen  him  from  the  burning  sun. 
A  merchant  of  Damascus,  passing  by  with  his  cara¬ 
van,  beheld  the  miracle,  took  the  youth,  bound  up 
his  wounds,  and  restored  him  to  health  by  the  most 
tender  care.  When  he  had  recovered  his  vigor  in 
Damascus,  the  generous  merchant  sent  him  back  to 
Arabia. 

He  went  first  to  the  Nedjed,  entered  the  service  of 
the  Waliabee  chief,  rose  to  high  military  rank,  and 
finally,  by  his  own  personal  bravery,  secured  the 
sovereignty  to  Feysul,  the  present  ruler.  The  latter 
then  gave  him  an  army  to  recover  his  heritage  of 
Djebel  Shomer,  and  about  the  year  1830,  his  sway 
was  secured  in  his  native  country.  The  rival  clan 
of  Beyt  Alee  was  extirpated,  only  one  child  being 
left,  whom  Telal*  afterwards,  with  a  rare  but  politic 
generosity,  restored  to  wealth  and  honors. 

Abdallah  took  every  means  to  strengthen  his  pow¬ 
er.  He  found  it  necessary,, through  his  dependence 
on  Fey sul,  to  establish  the  Wahabee  creed  ;  he  used 
the  Bedouins  as  allies,  in  order  to  repress  the  rival¬ 
ry  of  the  nobles,  and  thus  gained  power  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  popularity.  Many  plots  were  formed 
against  him,  many  attempts  made  to  assassinate 
him,  but  they  all  failed  :  his  lucky  star  attended 
him  throughout.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  dwelt 


158 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


in  a  quarter  of  the  capital  which  the  old  chief¬ 
tains  and  the  nobility  had  mainly  chosen  for  their 
domicile,  and  where  tire  new  monarch  was  surround¬ 
ed  by  men  his  equals  in  birth  and  of  even  more  an¬ 
cient  title  to  command.  But  now  he  added  a  new' 
quarter  to  the  town,  and  there  laid  the  foundations 
of  a  vast  palace  destined  for  the  future  abode  of  the 
king  and  the  display  of  all  his  grandeur,  amid 
streets  and  nobles  of  his  own  creation.  The  walls  of 
the  projected  edifice  were  fast  rising  when  he  died, 
almost  suddenly,  in  1844  or  1845,  leaving  three  sons, 
Telal,  Meta’ab,  and  Mohammed,  the  eldest  scarce 
twenty  years  of  age,  besides  his  only  surviving  bro¬ 
ther  ’Obeyd,  who  could  not  then  have  been  much 
under  fifty. 

“  Telal  was  already  highly  popular,”  says  Pal- 
grave,  “  much  more  so  than  his  father,  and  had  giv¬ 
en  early  tokens  of  those  superior  qualities  which 
accompanied  him  to  the  throne.  All  parties  united 
to  proclaim  him  sole  heir  to  the  kingdom  and  lawful 
successor  to  the  regal  power,  and  thus  the  rival  pre¬ 
tensions  of  ’Obeyd,  hated  by  many  and  feared  by 
all,  were  smothered  at  the  outset  and  put  aside  with¬ 
out  a  contest. 

“  The  young  sovereign  possessed,  in  fact,  all  that 
Arab  ideas  require  to  ensure  good  government  and 
lasting  popularity.  Affable  towrards  the  common 
people,  reserved  and  haughty  with  the  aristocracy, 
courageous  and  skillful  in  war,  a  lover  of  commerce 
and  building  in  time  of  peace,  liberal  even  to  profu¬ 
sion,  yet  always  careful  to  maintain  and  augment 
the  state  revenue,  neither  over-strict  nor  yet  scan- 


LIFE  IN  II A'  YEL. 


159 


dalously  lax  in  religion,  secret  in  liis  designs,  but 
never  known  to  break  a  promise  once  given,  or  vio¬ 
late  a  plighted  faith  ;  severe  in  administration,  yet 
averse  to  bloodshed,  he  offered  the  very  type  of  what 
an  Arab  prince  should  be.  I  might  add,  that  among 
all  rulers  or  governors,  European  or  Asiatic,  with 
whose  acquaintance  I  have  ever  chanced  to  be  hon¬ 
ored,  I  know  few  equal  in  the  true  art  of  govern¬ 
ment  to  Telal,  son  of  ’Abdallah-ebn-Raslieed. 

“  His  first  cares  were  directed  to  adorn  and  civi¬ 
lize  the  capital.  Under  his  orders,  enforced  by  per¬ 
sonal  superintendence,  the  palace  commenced  by  his 
father  was  soon  brought  to  completion.  But  he 
added,  what  probably  his  father  would  hardly  have 
thought  of,  a  long  row  of  warehouses,  the  dependen¬ 
cies  and  property  of  the  same  palace  ;  next  he  built 
a  market-place  consisting  of  about  eighty  shops  or 
magazines,  destined  for  public  commerce  and  trade, 
and  lastly  constructed  a  large  mosque  for  the  official 
prayers  of  Friday.  Round  the  palace,  and  in  many 
other  parts  of  the  town,  he  opened  streets,  dug 
wells,  and  laid  out  extensive  gardens,  besides 
strengthening  the  old  fortifications  all  round  and 
adding  new  ones.  At  the  same  time  he  managed  to 
secure  at  once  the  fidelity  and  the  absence  of  his 
dangerous  uncle  by  giving  him  charge  of  those  mil¬ 
itary  expeditions  which  best  satisfied  the  restless 
energy  of  ’Obeyd.  The  first  of  these  wars  was 
directed,  I  know  not  on  what  pretext,  against  Khey- 
bar.  But  as  Telal  intended  rather  to  enforce  sub¬ 
mission  than  to  inflict  ruin,  he  associated  with 
Obeyd  in  the  militaiy  command  his  own  brothei 


1G0 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Meta’ab,  to  put  a  check  on  the  ferocity  of  the  for¬ 
mer.  Kheybar  was  conquered,  and  Telal  sent  thith¬ 
er,  as  governor  in  his  name,  a  young  man  of  Ha’yel, 
prudent  and  gentle,  whom  I  subsequently  met  when 
he  was  on  a  visit  at  the  capital. 

u  Not  long  after,  the  inhabitants  of  Kaseem, 
weary  of  Wahabee  tyranny,  turned  their  eyes 
towards  Telal,  who  had  already  given  a  generous 
and  inviolable  asylum  to  the  numerous  political  ex¬ 
iles  of  that  district.  Secret  negotiations  took  place, 
and  at  a  favorable  moment  the  entire  uplands  of  that 
province — after  a  fashion  not  indeed  peculiar  to 
Arabia — annexed  themselves  to  the  kingdom  of  Sho- 
mer  by  universal  and  unanimous  suffrage.  Telal 
made  suitable  apologies  to  the  Nedjean  monarch, 
the  original  sovereign  of  the  annexed  district ;  he 
could  not  resist  the  popular  wish  ;  it  had  been  forced 
on  him,  etc., — but  Western  Europe  is  familiar  with 
the  style.  Feysulfelt  the  inopportuneness  of  a  quar¬ 
rel  with  the  rapidly  growing  power  to  which  he  him¬ 
self  had  given  origin  only  a  few  years  before,  and, 
after  a  wry  face  or  two,  swallowed  the  pill.  Meanwhile 
Telal  knowing  the  necessity  of  a  high  military  repu¬ 
tation,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  undertook  in  per¬ 
son  a  series  of  operations  against  Teyma’  and  its 
neighborhood,  and  at  last  against  the  Djowf  itself. 
Everywhere  his  arms  were  successful,  and  his  mod¬ 
eration  in  victory  secured  the  attachment  of  the  van¬ 
quished  themselves. 

“Towards  his  own  subjects  his  conduct  is  uni¬ 
formly  of  a  nature  to  merit  their  obedience  and  at¬ 
tachment,  and  few  sovereigns  have  here  met  with 


LIFE  IN  HA'  TEL. 


161 


better  success.  Once  a  day,  often  twice,  he  gives 
public  audience,  hears  patiently,  and  decides  in  per¬ 
son,  the  minutest  causes  with  great  good  sense.  To 
the  Bedouins,  no  insignificant  portion  of  his  rule,  he 
makes  up  for  the  restraint  he  imposes,  and  the  trib¬ 
ute  he  levies  from  them,  by  a  profusion  of  hospital¬ 
ity  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  whole  of  Arabia 
from  Akabah  to  Aden.  His  guests  at  the  midday 
and  evening  meal  are  never  less  than  fifty  or  sixty, 
and  I  have  often  counted  up  to  two  hundred  at  a 
banquet,  while  presents  of  dress  and  arms  are  of  fre¬ 
quent  if  not  daily  occurrence.  It  is  hard  for  Europe¬ 
ans  to  estimate  how  much  popularity  such  conduct 
brings  an  Asiatic  prince.  Meanwhile  the  townsfolk 
and  villagers  love  him  for  the  more  solid  advantages 
of  undisturbed  peace  at  home,  of  flourishing  com¬ 
merce,  of  extended  dominion,  and  military  glory. 

“  To  capital  punishment  he  is  decidedly  adverse, 
and  the  severest  penalty  with  which  he  has  hitherto 
chastised  political  offences  is  banishment  or  prison. 
Indeed,  even  in  cases  of  homicide  or  murder,  he  has 
been  known  not  unfrequently  to  avail  himself  of  the 
option  allowed  by  Arab  custom  between  a  fine  and 
retaliation,  and  to  buy  off  the  offender,  by  bestowing 
on  the  family  of  the  deceased  the  allotted  price  of 
blood  from  his  own  private  treasury,  and  that  from 
a  pure  motive  of  humanity.  When  execution  does 
take  place,  it  is  always  by  beheading ;  nor  is  indeed 
any  other  mode  of  putting  to  death  customary  in 
Arabia.  Stripes  however  are  not  uncommon,  though 
administered  on  the  broad  back,  not  on  the  sole  of 
the  foot.  They  are  the  common  chastisement  for 


162 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


minor  offences,  like  stealing,  cursing,  or  quarreling  ; 
in  this  last  case  both  parties  usually  come  in  for 
theii  share. 

“  With  his  numerous  retainers  he  is  almost  over- 
indulgent,  and  readily  pardons  a  mistake  or  a  negli¬ 
gence  ;  falsehood  alone  he  never  forgives  ;  and  it  is 
notorious  that  whoever  has  once  lied  to  Telal  must 
give  up  all  hopes  of  future  favor.” 

After  describing  the  public  audience  which  is 
daily  given  by  this  excellent  prince,  Palgrave  des¬ 
cribes  the  more  private  reception  which  was  accord¬ 
ed  to  himself  and  his  companion  : 

“  Telal,  once  free  from  the  mixed  crowd,  pauses  a 
moment  till  we  rejoin  him.  The  simple  and  cus¬ 
tomary  salutations  are  given  and  returned.  I  then 
present  him  with  our  only  available  testimonial,  the 
scrap  written  by  Hamood  from  the  Djowf.  He 
opens  it,  and  hands  it  over  to  Zamil,  better  skilled 
in  reading  than  his  master.  Then  laying  aside  all 
his  wonted  gravity,  and  assuming  a  good-humored 
smile,  he  takes  my  hand  in  his  right  and  my  com¬ 
panion’s  in  his  left,  and  thus  walks  on  with  us 
through  the  court,  past  the  mosque,  and  down  the 
market-place,  while  his  attendants  form  a  moving 
wall  behind  and  on  either  side. 

“  He  was  in  his  own  mind  thoroughly  persuaded 
that  we  were,  as  we  appeared,  Syrians ;  but  imag¬ 
ined,  nor  was  he  entirely  in  the  wrong  thus  far,  that 
we  had  other  objects  in  view  than  mere  medical 
practice.  But  if  he  was  right  in  so  much,  he  was 
less  fortunate  in  the  interpretation  he  chose  to  put 
on  our  riddle,  having  imagined  that  our  real  scope 


363 


LIFE  IN  HA' TEL. 

\ 

must  be  to  buy  horses  for  some  government,  of 
which  we  must  be  the  agents ;  a  conjecture  which 
had  certainly  the  merit  of  plausibility.  However, 
Telal  had,  I  believe,  no  doubt  on  the  matter,  and 
had  already  determined  to  treat  us  well  in  the  horse 
business,  and  to  let  us  have  a  good  bargain,  as  it 
shortly  appeared. 

“  Accordingly  he  began  a  series  of  questions  and 
cross-questions,  all  in  a  jocose  way,  but  so  that  the 
very  drift  of  his  inquiries  soon  allowed  us  to  per¬ 
ceive  what  he  really  esteemed  us.  We,  following 
our  previous  resolution,  stuck  to  medicine,  a  family 
in  want,  hopes  of  good  success  under  the  royal  pa¬ 
tronage,  and  much  of  the  same  tenor.  But  Telal 
was  not  so  easily  to  be  blinkered,  and  kept  to  his 
first  judgment.  Meanwhile  we  passed  down  the 
stieet,  lined  with  starers  at  the  king  and  us,  and  at 
last  arrived  at  the  outer  door  of  a  large  house  near 
the  farther  end  of  the  Sook  or  market-place  ;  it 

belonged  to  Hasan,  the  merchant  from  Meshid 
’Alee. 

Three  of  the  retinue  stationed  themselves  by 
way  of  guard  at  the  street  door,  sword  in  hand. 
The  rest  entered  with  the  king  and  ourselves ;  we 
traversed  the  courtyard,  where  the  remainder  of  the 
armed  men  took  position,  while  we  went  on  to  the 
k  liawah.  It  was  small,  but  well  furnished  and 
carpeted.  Here  Telal  placed  us  amicably  by  his 
side  in  the  highest  place ;  his  brother  Mohammed 
and  five  or  six  others  were  admitted,  and  seated 
themselves  each  according  to  his  rank,  while  Hasan, 
being  master  oi  the  house,  did  the  honors. 


164 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  Coffee  was  brought  and  pipes  lighted.  Mean 
time  Ebn-Rasheed  renewed  his  interrogatory,  skill¬ 
fully  throwing  out  side  remarks,  now  on  the  govern¬ 
ment  of  Syria,  now  on  that  of  Egypt,  then  on  the 
Bedouins  to  the  north  of  Djowf,  or  on  the  tribes  of 
Hedjaz  or  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  thus  to 
gain  light  whence  and  to  what  end  we  had  in  fact 
come.  Next  he  questioned  us  on  medicine,  perhaps 
to  discover  whether  we  had  the  right  professional 
tone ;  then  on  horses,  about  which  same  noble  ani¬ 
mals  we  affected  an  ignorance  unnatural  and  very 
unpardonable  in  an  Englishman  ;  but  for  which  I 
hope  afterwards  to  make  amends  to  my  readers. 
All  was  in  vain  ;  and  after  a  full  hour  our  noble 
friend  had  only  managed  by  his  cleverness  to  get 
himself  farther  off  the  right  track  than  he  had  been 
at  the  outset.  He  felt  it,  and  determined  to  let 
matters  have  their  own  course,  and  to  await  the  re¬ 
sult  of  time.  So  he  ended  by  assuring  us  of  his 
entire  confidence  and  protection,  offering  us  to  boot 
a  lodging  on  the  palace  grounds.  But  this  we  de¬ 
clined,  being  desirous  of  studying  the  country  as  it 
was  in  itself,  not  through  the  medium  of  a  court  at¬ 
mosphere  ;  so  we  begged  that  an  abode  might  be 
assigned  us  as  near  the  market-place  as  possible ; 
and  this  he  promised,  though  evidently  rather  put 
uut  by  our  independent  ways. 

“  Excellent  water-melons,  ready  peeled  and  cut 
«*p,  with  peaches  hardly  ripe,  for  it  was  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  season,  were  now  brought  in,  and 
we  all  partook  in  common.  This  was  the  signal  for 
breaking  up  ;  Telal  renewed  his  proffers  of  favor 


LIFE  IN  II A'  YEL. 


165 


and  patronage  ;  and  we  were  at  last  reconducted  to 
our  lodgings  by  one  of  the  royal  guard. 

“  Seyf  now  went  in  search  of  a  permanent  dwell¬ 
ing-place  wherein  to  install  us  ;  and  before  evening 
succeeded  in  finding  one  situated  in  a  street  leading 
at  right  angles  to  the  market,  and  at  no  unreason¬ 
able  distance  from  the  palace.  The  house  itself 
consisted  of  two  apartments,  separated  by  an  un¬ 
roofed  court,  with  an  outer  door  opening  on  the 
road  ;  over  the  rooms  was  a  flat  roof  surrounded 
by  a  very  high  parapet,  thus  making  an  excellent 
sleeping-place  for  summer.  The  locality  had  been 
occupied  by  one  of  the  palace  retinue,  Koseyn-el- 
Misree,  who  at  Seyf s  bidding  evacuated  the  pre¬ 
mises  in  our  favor,  and  moved  off  to  take  up  his 
quarters  in  the  neighborhood.  We  examined  the 
dwelling-place,  and  found  it  tolerably  convenient ; 
the  rooms  w~ere  each  about  sixteen  feet  in  length  by 
tight  or  nine  in  breadth,  and  of  corresponding 
height ;  one  of  them  might  officiate  as  a  store-room 
and  kitchen,  while  the  other  should  be  fitted  up  for 
a  dwelling  apartment.  It  was  the  zenith  of  the  dog- 
days,  and  a  bed-chamber  would  have  been  a  mere 
superfluity ;  the  roof  and  open  air  were  every  way 
preferable,  nor  had  we  to  fear  intrusion,  the  court- 
walls  being  sixteen  feet  high  or  more.  Every  door 
was  provided  with  its  own  distinct  lock  ;  the  keys 
here  are  made  of  iron,  and  in  this  respect  Ha’yel 
has  the  better  of  any  other  Arab  town  it  was  my 
chance  to  visit,  where  the  keys  were  invariably 
wooden,  and  thus  very  liable  to  break  and  get  out 
of  order. 


166 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


“  The  courtyard  was  soon  thronged  with  visitors, 
some  from  the  palace,  others  from  the  town.  One 
had  a  sick  relation,  whom  he  begged  us  to  come  and 
see,  another  some  personal  ailment,  a  third  had 
called  out  of  mere  politeness  or  curiosity  ;  in  short 
men  of  all  conditions  and  of  all  ages,  but  for 
the  most  part  open  and  friendly  in  manner,  so  that 
we  could  already  anticipate  a  very  speedy  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  the  town  and  whatever  it  contained. 

“  The  nature  of  our  occupations  now  led  to  a  cer¬ 
tain  daily  routine,  though  it  was  often  agreeably  di¬ 
versified  by  incidental  occurrences.  Perhaps  a  leaf 
taken  at  random  from  my  journal,  now  regularly 
kept,  may  serve  to  set  before  my  readers  a  tolerable 
sample  of  our  ordinary  course  of  life  and  society  at 
Ha’yel,  while  it  will  at  the  same  time  give  a  more 
distinct  idea  of  the  town  and  people  than  we  have 
yet  supplied.  It  is,  besides,  a  pleasure  to  retrace 
the  memories  of  a  pleasant  time,  and  such  on  the 
whole  was  ours  here  ;  and  I  trust  that  the  reader 
will  not  be  wholly  devoid  of  some  share  in  my  feel¬ 
ings. 

“Be  it,  then,  the  10th  of  August,  whose  jotted  notes 
I  will  put  together  and  fill  up  the  blanks.  I  might 
equally  have  taken  the  9tli  or  the  11th,  they  are  all 
much  the  same  ;  but  the  day  1  have  chosen  looks  a 
little  the  closer  written  of  the  two.  and  for  that  sole 
reason  I  prefer  giving  it. 

“  On  that  day,  then,  in  1862,  about  a  fortnight 
after  our  establishment  at  Ha’yel,  and  when  we  were, 
in  consequence,  fully  inured  to  our  town  existence, 
Seleem  Abou  Mahmood-el-’Eys  and  Barakat-esh- 


LIFE  IN  HA'YEL. 


167 


Shamee,  that  is,  my  companion  and  myself,  rose,  not 
from  our  beds,  for  we  had  none,  but  from  our  roof- 
spread  carpets,  and  took  advantage  of  the  silent 
hour  of  the  first  faint  dawn,  while  the  stars  yet  kept 
watch  in  the  sky  over  the  slumbering  inhabitants  of 
Shomer,  to  leave  the  house  for  a  cool  and  undis¬ 
turbed  walk  ere  the  sun  should  arise  and  man  no 

o 

forth  unto  his  work  and  to  his  labor.  We  locked 
the  outer  door,  and  then  passed  into  the  still  twi¬ 
light  gloom  down  the  cross-street  leading  to  the 
market-place,  which  we  next  followed  up  to  its 
farther  or  southwestern  end,  where  large  folding- 
gates  separate  it  from  the  rest  of  the  town.  The 
wolfish  city-dogs,  whose  bark  and  bite  too  render 
walking  the  streets  at  night  a  rather  precarious  bu¬ 
siness,  now  tamely  stalked  away  in  the  gloaming, 
while  here  and  there  a  crouching  camel,  the  pack¬ 
ages  yet  on  his  back,  and  his  sleeping  driver  close 
by,  awaited  the  opening  of  the  warehouse  at  whose 
door  they  had  passed  the  night.  Early  though  it 
was,  the  market-gate's  were  already  unclosed,  and 
the  guardian  sat  wakeful  in  his  niche.  On  leaving 
the  market  we  had  yet  to  go  down  a  broad  street  of 
houses  and  gardens  cheerfully  intermixed,  till  at  last 
we  reached  the  western  wall  of  tlie  town,  or,  rather, 
of  the  new  quarter  added  by  ’Abdallah,  where  the 
high  portal  between  round  flanking  towers  gave  us 
issue  on  the  open  plain,  blown  over  at  this  hour  by 
a  light  gale  of  life  and  coolness.  To  the  west,  but 
some  four  or  five  miles  distant,  rose  the  serrated 
mass  of  Pjebel  Shomer,  throwing  up  its  black  fan¬ 
tastic  peaks,  now  reddened  by  the  reflected  dawn, 


168 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


against  the  lead-blue  sky.  Northward  the  same 
chain  bends  round  till  it  meets  the  town,  and  then 
stretches  away  for  a  length  of  ten  or  twelve  days’ 
journey,  gradually  losing  in  height  on  its  approach 
to  Meshid  ’Alee  and  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates. 
On  our  south  we  have  a  little  isolated  knot  of  rocks, 
and  far  off  the  extreme  ranges  of  Djebel  Shomer  or 
’Aja,  to  give  it  its  historical  name,  intersected  by 
the  broad  passes  that  lead  on  in  the  same  direction 
to  Djebel  Solrna.  Behind  us  lies  the  capital. 
Telal’s  palace,  with  its  high  oval  keep,  houses,  gar¬ 
dens,  walls,  and  towers,  all  coming  out  black  against 
the  ruddy  bars  of  eastern  light,  and  behind,  a  huge 
pyramidal  peak  almost  overhanging  the  town,  and 
connected  by  lower  rocks  with  the  main  mountain 
range  to  north  and  south,  those  stony  ribs  that  pro¬ 
tect  the  central  heart  of  the  kingdom.  In  the  plain 
itself  we  can  just  distinguish  by  the  doubtful  twi¬ 
light  several  blackish  patches  irregularly  scattered 
over  its  face,  or  seen  as  though  leaning  upward 
against  its  craggy  verge  ;  these  are  the  gardens  and 
country-houses  of  ’Obeyd  and  other  chiefs,  besides 
hamlets  and  villages,  such  as  Kefar  and  ’Adwah, 
with  their  groves  of  palm  and  ‘  Ithel,’  (the  Arab 
larch,)  now  blended  in  the  dusk.  One  solitary 
traveller  on  his  camel,  a  troop  of  jackals  sneaking 
off  to  their  rocky  cavern,  a  few  dingy  tents  of 
Shomer  Bedouins,  such  are  the  last  details  of  the 
landscape.  Far  away  over  the  southern  hills  beams 
the  glory  of  Canopus,  and  announces  a  new  Arab 
year  ;  the  pole-star  to  the  north  lies  low  over  the 
mountain  tops. 


LIFE  IN  II A’  YEL. 


169 


“We  pace  the  pebble-strewn  flat  to  the  south,  till 
we  leave  behind  us  the  length  of  the  town  wall,  and 
reach  the  little  cluster  of  rocks  already  mentioned. 
W  e  scramble  up  to  a  sort  of  niche  near  its  summit, 
whence,  at  a  height  of  a  hundred  feet  or  more,  we 
can  overlook  the  whole  extent  of  the  plain  and  wait 
the  sunrise.  Yet  before  the  highest  crags  of 
Sliomer  are  gilt  with  its  first  rays,  or  the  long  giant 
shadows  of  the  easterly  chain  have  crossed  the 
level,  we  see  groups  of  peasants,  who  drawing  their 
fruit  and  vegetable-laden  asses  before  them,  issue 
like  little  bands  of  ants  trom  the  mountain  gorges 
around,  and  slowly  approach  on  the  tracks  converg¬ 
ing  to  the  capital.  Horsemen  from  the  town  ride 
out  to  the  gardens,  and  a  long  line  of  camels  on  the 
westerly  Medina  road  winds  up  towards  Ha’yel. 
We  wait  ensconced  in  our  rocky  lookout  and  enjoy 
the  view  till  the  sun  has  risen,  and  the  coolness  of 
the  night  air  warms  rapidly  into  the  sultry  day;  it 
is  time  to  return.  So  we  quit  our  solitary  perch, 
and  descend  to  the  plain,  where,  keeping  in  the 
shadow  of  the  western  fortifications,  we  regain  the 
town  gate  and  thence  the  market. 

“  There,  all  is  now  life  and  movement ;  some  of  the 
warehouses,  filled  with  rice,  flour,  spit  es,  or  coflee, 
and  often  concealing  in  their  inner  recesses  stores 
of  the  }  rohibited  American  w7eed,  are  already  open  ; 
we  salute  the  owners  while  we  pass,  and  they  return 
a  polite  and  friendly  greeting.  Camels  are  unload¬ 
ing  in  the  streets,  and  Bedouins  standing  by,  look¬ 
ing  anything  but  at  home  in  the  town.  The  shoe¬ 
maker  and  the  blacksmith,  those  two  main  props  ol 


170 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


Arab  handicraft,  are  already  at  their  work,  and 
some  gossiping  bystanders  are  collected  around 
them.  At  the  corner  where  our  cross-street  falls 
into  the  market-place,  three  or  four  country  women 
are  seated,  with  piles  of  melons,  gourds,  egg-plant 
fruits,  and  the  other  garden  produce  before  them  for 
sale.  My  companion  falls  a  haggling  with  one  of 
these  village  nymphs,  and  ends  by  obtaining  a 
dozen  ‘badinjans*  and  a  couple  of  water-melons, 
each  bigger  than  a  man’s  head,  for  the  equivalent 
of  an  English  twopence.  With  this  purchase  we 
return  home,  where  we  shut  and  bolt  the  outer  door, 
then  take  out  of  a  flat  basket  what  has  remained 
from  over  night  of  our  wafer-like  Ha’yel  bread,  and 
with  this  and  a  melon  make  a  hasty  breakfast.  I 
say  a  hasty  one,  for  although  it  is  only  half  an  hour 
after  sunrise,  repeated  knocks  at  our  portal  show 
the  arrival  of  patients  and  visitors  :  early  rising  being 
here  the  fashion,  and  reason  must  wherever  artifi¬ 
cial  lighting  is  scanty.  However,  we  do  not  at  once 
open  to  our  friends,  nor  will  they  take  offence  at  the 
delay,  but  remain  where  they  are,  chatting  together 
before  our  door  till  we  admit  them  ;  of  so  little  value 
is  time  here. 

“  In  comes  a  young  man  of  good  appearance,  clad 
in  the  black-  cloak  common  to  all  of  the  middle  or 
upper  classes  in  Central  Arabia  ;  in  his  hand  he 
bears  a  wand  of  the  Sidr  or  lotos-wood.  A  silver- 
hilted  sword  and  a  glistening  Kafee’yah  announce 
him  to  be  a  person  of  some  importance,  while  his 
long  black  ringlets,  handsome  features  and  slightly 
olive  complexion,  with  a  tall  stature  and  easv  gait. 

V  O  » 


LIFE  IN  II A'  YEL. 


171 


declare  him  native  of  Djebel  Shomer,  and  townsman 
of  Ha’jel ;  it  is  ’Ojeyl,  the  eldest  born  of  a  large 
family,  and  successor  to  the  comfortable  house  and 
garden  of  his  father  not  long  since  deceased,  in  a 
quarter  of  the  town  some  twenty  minutes’  walk  dis¬ 
tant.  He  leads  by  the  hand  his  younger  brother,  a 
modest  looking  lad  of  fair  complexion  and  slim 
make,  but  almost  blind,  and  evidently  out  of  health 
also.  After  passing  through  the  preliminary  cere¬ 
monies  of  introduction  to  Barakat,  he  approaches 
my  recess,  and  standing  without,  salutes  me  with 
the  greatest  deference.  Thinking  him  a  desirable 
acquaintance,  I  receive  him  very  graciously,  and  he 
begs  me  to  see  what  is  the  matter  with  his  brother. 
I  examine  the  case,  finding  it  to  be  within  the  limits 
of  my  skill,  and  not  likely  to  require  more  than  a 
veiy  simple  course  of  treatment.  Accordingly  I 
make  my  bargain  for  the  chances  of  recovery,  and 
find  Ojeyl  docile  to  the  terms  proposed,  and  with 
little  disposition,  all  things  considered,  to  back¬ 
wardness  in  payment.  Arabs,  indeed,  are  in  gen¬ 
eral  close  in  driving  a  bargain  and  open  in  down¬ 
right  giving ;  they  will  chaffer  half  a  day  about  a 
penny,  while  they  will  throw  away  the  worth  of 
pounds  on  the  first  asker.  But  ’Ojeyl  was  one  of 
the  best  specimens  of  the  Ha’yel  character,  and  of 
the  clan  Ta’i,  renowned  in  all  times  for  their  liberal 
ways  and  high  sense  of  honor.  I  next  proceed  to 
administer  to  my  patient  such  drugs  as  his  state  re¬ 
quires,  and  he  receives  them  with  that  air  of  abso¬ 
lute  and  half  religious  confidence  which  well-edu¬ 
cated  Arabs  show  to  their  physician,  whom  they 


172 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


regard  as  possessed  of  an  almost  sacred  and  super 
natural  power — a  feeling,  bj  the  way,  hardly  less 
advantageous  to  the  patient  than  to  the  practitioner, 
and  which  may  often  contribute  much  to  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  the  treatment. 

“  During  the  rest  of  my  stay  at  Ha’yel,  ’Ojeyl 
continued  to  be  one  of  my  best  friends,  I  had 
almost  said  disciples ;  our  mutual  visits  were  fre¬ 
quent,  and  always  pleasing  and  hearty.  His 
brother’s  cure,  which  followed  in  less  than  a  fort¬ 
night,  confirmed  his  attachment,  nor  had  I  reason 
to  complain  of  scantiness  in  his  retribution. 

“  Meanwhile  the  courtyard  has  become  full  of  vis¬ 
itors.  Close  by  my  door  I  see  the  intelligent  and 
demurely-smiling  face  of  ’Abd-el-Mahsin,  where  he 
sits  between  two  pretty  and  well-dressed  boys  ;  they 
are  the  two  elder  children  of  Telal,  Bedr  and  Ban¬ 
der  ;  their  guardsmen,  a  negro  slave  with  a  hand¬ 
some  cloak  and  sword,  is  seated  a  little  lower  down. 
Farther  on  are  two  townsmen,  one  armed,  the  other 
with  a  wand  at  his  side.  A  rough  good-natured 
youth  of  a  bronzed  complexion,  and  whose  dingy 
clothes  bespeak  his  mechanical  profession,  is  talking 
with  another  of  a  dress  somewhat  different  in  form 
and  coarser  in  material  than  that  usually  wrorn  in 
Ha’yel ;  this  latter  must  be  a  peasant  from  some 
one  of  the  mountain  villages.  Two  Bedouins, 
ragged  and  uncouth,  have  straggled  in  with  the  rest ; 
while  a  tall,  dark-featured  youth,  with  a  gilded  hilt 
to  his  sword,  and  more  silk  about  him  than  a  Wa- 
habee  wrould  approve,  has  taken  his  place  opposite 
to  Abd-el-Mahsin,  and  is  trying  to  draw  him  into 


LIFE  IN  IIA'YEL. 


173 


conversation.  But  this  last  has  asked  Barakat  to 
lend  him  one  of  my  Arabic  books  to  read,  and  is 
deeply  engaged  in  its  perusal. 

’Ojeyl  has  taken  leave,  and  I  give  the  next  turn  of 
course  to  ’Abd-el-Mahsin.  He  informs  me  that  Te- 
lal  has  sent  me  his  two  sons  Bedr  and  Bander  that 
I  may  examine  their  state  of  health,  and  see  if  they 
require  doctoring.  This  is  in  truth  a  little  stroke  of 
policy  on  Telal’s  part,  who  knows  equally  with  my¬ 
self  that  the  boys  are  perfectly  well  and  want  noth¬ 
ing  at  all.  But  he  wishes  to  give  us  a  mark  of  his 
confidence,  and  at  the  same  time  to  li^lp  us  in  estab¬ 
lishing  our  medical  reputation  in  the  town  ;  for 
though  by  no  means  himself  persuaded  of  the  reality 
of  our  doctoral  title,  he  understands  the  expediency 
of  saving  appearances  before  the  public. 

“  Well,  the  children  are  passed  in  review  with  all 
the  seriousness  due  to  a  case  of  heart  complaint  or 
brain  fever,  while  at  a  wink  from  me,  Barakat  pre¬ 
pares  in  the  kitchen  a  draught  of  cinnamon  water, 
which,  with  sugar,  named  medicine  for  the  occasion, 
pleases  the  young  heirs  of  royalty  and  keeps  up  the 
farce  ;  ’Abd-el-Mahsin  expatiating  all  the  time  to 
the  bystanders  on  the  wonderful  skill  with  which  I 
have  at  once  discovered  the  ailments  and  their  cure, 
and  the  small  bovs  thinking  that  if  this  be  medicine, 
they  will  do  their  best  to  be  ill  for  it  every  day. 

“  ’Abd-el-Mahsin  now  commits  them  to  the  negro, 
who,  however,  before  taking  them  back  to  the  pal¬ 
ace,  has  his  own  story  to  tell  of  some  personal  ache, 
for  which  I  prescribe  without  stipulating  for  pay¬ 
ment,  since  lie  belongs  to  the  palace,  where  it  is  im- 


174 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


portant  to  have  the  greatest  number  of  friends  pos¬ 
sible,  even  on  the  back  stairs.  But  ’Abd-el-Mahsin 
remains,  reading,  chatting,  quoting  poetry,  and  talk¬ 
ing  history,  recent  events,  natural  philosophy,  or 
medicine,  as  the  case  may  be. 

“  Let  us  now  see  some  of  the  other  patients.  The 

gold-hilted  swordsman  has  naturally  a  special  claim 

on  our  attention.  It  is  the  son  of  Rosheyd,  Telal’s 

maternal  uncle.  His  palace  stands  on  the  other 

side  of  the  way,  exactly  opposite  to  our  house  ;  and 

I  will  say  nothing  more  of  him  for  the  present, 

intending  to  pay  him  afterwards  a  special  visit,  and 

thus  become  more  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 

whole  familv. 

%/ 

“  Next  let  us  take  notice  of  those  two  townsmen 
who  are  conversing,  or  rather  £  chaffing,’  together. 
Though  both  in  plain  apparel,  and  much  alike  in 
stature  and  features,  there  is  yet  much  about  them 
to  distinguish  the  two  ;  one  has  a  civilian  look,  the 
other  a  military.  He  of  the  wand  is  no  less  a  per¬ 
sonage  than  Mohammed-el-Kadee,  chief  justice  of 
Ha’yel,  and  of  course  a  very  important  individual  in 
the  town.  However  his  exterior  is  that  of  an  elder- 
bo  unpretentious  little  man,  and  one,  in  spite  of  the 
proverb  which  attributes  gravity  to  judges,  very  fond 
of  a  joke,  besides  being  a  tolerable  representative 
of  what  may  here  be  called  the  moderate  party,  nei¬ 
ther  participating  in  the  fanaticism  of  the  Waha- 
bee,  nor  yet,  like  the  most  of  the  indigenous  chiefs, 
hostile  to  Mahometanism  ;  he  takes  his  cue  from  the 
court  direction  and  is  popular  with  all  factions 
because  belonging  properly  to  none. 


LIFE  IN'  BAY  EL. 


175 


“  He  requires  some  medical  treatment  for  himself, 
and  more  for  his  son,  a  big  heavy  lad  with  a  swollen 
arm,  who  has  accompanied  him  hither.  Here  too 
is  a  useful  acquaintance,  well  up  to  all  the  scandal 
and  small  talk  of  the  town,  and  willing  to  communi¬ 
cate  it.  Our  visits  were  frequent,  and  I  found  his 
house  well  stored  with  books,  partly  manuscript, 
partly  printed  in  Egypt,  and  mainly  on  legal  or  reli¬ 
gious'  subjects. 

“  Of  the  country  folks  in  the  villages  around,  like 
Mogali,  Delkemee’eh,  and  the  rest,  Mohammed-el- 
Kadee  used  to  speak  with  a  sort  of  half-contempt¬ 
uous  pity,  much  like  a  Parisian  talking  of  Low  Bre¬ 
tons  ;  in  fact,  the  difference  between  these  rough 
and  sturdy  boors,  and  the  more  refined  inhabitants 
of  the  capital,  is,  all  due  proportion  allowed,  no  less 
remarkable  here  than  in  Europe  itself.  We  will 
now  let  one  of  them  come  forward  in  his  own  behalf, 
and  my  readers  shall  be  judges. 

“  It  is  accordingly  a  stout  clown  from  Mogali, 
scantily  dressed  in  working  wear,  and  who  has  been 
occupied  for  the  last  half  hour  in  tracing  sundry 
diagrams  on  the  ground  before  him  with  a  thick 
peach-tree  switch,  thus  to  pass  his  time  till  his  bet¬ 
ters  shali  have  been  served.  He  now  edges  forward, 
and  taking  his  s-eat  in  front  of  the  door,  calls  my  at¬ 
tention  with  an  ‘  I  say,  doc-tor.’  Whereon  I  suggest 
to  him  that  his  bulky  corporation  not  being  formed 
of  glass  or  any  other  transparent  material,  he  has 
by  his  position  entirely  intercepted  whatever  little 
dght  my  recess  might  enjoy.  He  apologizes,  and 
shuffles  an  inch  or  two  sideways.  Next  I  inquire 


176 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


what  ails  him,  not  without  some  curiosity  to  hear 
the  answer,  so  little  does  the  herculean  frame  before 
me  announce  disease.  Whereto  Do’eymis,  or  what¬ 
ever  may  be  his  name,  replies,  ‘  I  say,  I  am  all  made 
up  of  pain.5  This  statement,  like  many  others,  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  rather  too  general  to  be  exactly  true. 
So  I  proceed  in  my  interrogatory  :  4  Does  your  head 
pain  you  ?’  £  No.5  (I  might  have  guessed  that ; 

these  fellows  never  feel  what  our  cross-Channel 
friends  entitle  ‘  le  mal  des  beaux  esprits .’)  £  Does 

your  back  ache  V  £  No.’  £  Your  arms  ?’  £  No.’ 

£  Your  legs  ?’  £  No.5  ‘  Your  body  ?’  £  No.’  £  But,’ 

I  conclude,  £  if  neither  your  head  nor  your  body, 
back,  arms,  or  legs  pain  you,  how  can  you  possibly 
be  such  a  composition  of  suffering  ?’  £  I  am  all  made 
up  of  pain,  doctor,’  replies  he,  manfully  intrenching 
himself  within  his  first  position.  The  fact  is,  that 
there  is  really  something  wrong  with  him,  but  he 
does  not  know  how  to  localize  his  sensations.  So  I 
push  forward  my  inquiries,  till  it  appears  that  our 
man  of  Mogah  has  a  chronic  rheumatism  ;  and  on 
ulterior  investigation,  conducted  with  all  the  skill 
that  Barakat  and  I  can  jointly  muster,  it  comes  out 
that  three  or  four  months  before  he  had  an  attack  of 
the  disease  in  its  acute  form,  accompanied  by  high 
fever,  since  which  he  has  never  been  himself  again. 

££  This  might  suffice  for  the  diagnosis,  but  I  wish 
to  see  how  he  will  find  his  way  out  of  more  intricate 
questions  ;  besides,  the  townsmen  sitting  by,  and 
equally  alive  to  the  joke  with  myself,  whisper, 

‘  Try  him  again.’  In  consequence,  I  proceed  with, 
What  was  the  cause  of  your  first  illness?’  £I  say, 


LIFE  IN  HA'YEL. 


177 


doctor,  its  cause  was  God,’  replies  the  patient.  4  No 
doubt  of  that,’  say  I ;  ‘all  things  are  caused  by 
God :  but  what  was  the  particular  and  immediate 
occasion  ?  ’  ‘  Doctor,  its  cause  was  God,  and  sec¬ 

ondly,  that  I  ate  camel’s  flesh  when  I  was  cold,’  re¬ 
joins  my  scientific  friend.  ‘  But  was  there  nothing 
else  ?’  I  suggest,  not  quite  satisfied  with  the  lucid 
explanation  just  given.  ‘  Then,  too,  I  drank  camel’s 
milk ;  but  it  was  all,  I  say,  from  God,  doctor,’  an¬ 
swers  he. 

‘  Well,  I  consider  the  case,  and  make  up  my  mind 
regarding  the  treatment.  Next  comes  the  grand 
question  of  payment,  which  must  be  agreed  on 
beforehand,  and  rendered  conditional  on  success  ; 
else  no  fees  for  the  docter,  not  at  Ha’yel  only,  but 
throughout  Arabia.  I  inquire  what  he  will  give  me 
on  recovery.  ‘  Doctor,’  answers  the  peasant,  ‘  I  will 
give  you,  do  you  hear?  I  say,  I  will  give  you  a 
camel.’  But  I  reply  that  I  do  not  want  one.  ‘I 
say,  remember  God,’  which  being  interpreted  here 
means,  ‘  do  not  be  unreasonable  ;  I  will  give  you  a 
fat  camel,  every  one  knows  my  camel ;  if  you  choose, 
I  will  bring  witnesses,  I  say.’  And  while  I  persist 
in  refusing  the  proffered  camel,  he  talks  of  butter, 
meal,  dates,  and  such  like  equivalents. 

“  There  is  a  patient  and  a  paymaster  for  you. 
However,  all  ends  by  his  behaving  reasonably 
enough  ;  he  follows  my  prescriptions  witli  the  ordi¬ 
nary  docility,  gets  better,. and  gives  me  for  my  pains 
an  eighteenpenny  fee.” 

During  this  residence  in  Ila’yel,  Palgrave  made 
manv  friends,  and  soon  established  those  relations 


178 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


of  familiar  intercourse  which  are  so  much  easier  in 
Moslem  than  in  Christian  lands, — a  natural  result  ol 
the  preservation  of  the  old  importance,  which  in  the 
earliest  Hebrew  days  was  attached  to  “  the  stran¬ 
ger.”  Palgrave’s  intimacies  embraced  many  fami¬ 
lies  related  to  Telai,  and  others,  whose  knowledge 
of  Arabian  history  or  literature  made  their  acquain¬ 
tance  welcome.  His  own  knowledge  of  these  sub¬ 
jects,  fortunately,  was  equal  to  theirs,  and,  from 
the  number  of  his  invitations  to  dinners  and  sup¬ 
pers,  he  seems  to  have  been  a  welcome  guest  to  the 
better  classes  of  Ha’yel.  One  of  the  aristocracy,  by 
name  Hohey,  was  his  most  agreeable  acquaintance  ; 
and  we  quote  the  following  pleasant  account  of  his 
intercourse  : 

“  Doliey’s  invitations  were  particularly  welcome, 
both  from  the  pleasantness  of  his  dwelling-place, 
and  from  the  varied  and  interesting  conversation 
that  I  was  sure  to  meet  with  there.  This  merchant, 
a  tall  and  stately  man  of  between  fifty  and  sixty 
years  of  age,  and  whose  thin  features  were  Lighted 
up  by  a  lustre  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence, 
was  a  thorough  Ha’yelite  of  the  old  caste,  hating 
Wahabees  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  eager  for 
information  on  cause  and  effect,  on  lands  and  gov¬ 
ernments,  and  holding  commerce  and  social  life  for 
the  main  props  if  not  the  ends  of  civil  and  national 
organization.  His  uncle,  now  near  eighty  years  old, 
to  judge  by  conjecture  in  a  land  where  registers  are 
not  much  in  use,  had  journeyed  to  India,  and 
traded  at  Bombay  ;  in  token  whereof  he  still  wore 
an  indian  skull-cap  and  a  Cachemire  shawl.  The 


LIFE  IN  HAY  EL. 


179 


rest  of  the  family  were  in  keeping  with  the  elder 
members,  and  seldom  have  I  seen  more  dutiful  child¬ 
ren  01  a  better  educated  household.  My  readers 
will  naturally  understand  that  by  education  I  here 
imply  its  moral  not  its  intellectual  phase.  The  eld¬ 
est  son,  himself  a  middle-aged  man,  would  never 
ventuie  into  his  father  s  presence  without  unbuck- 
hng  his  swoid  and  leaving  it  in  the  vestibule,  nor  on 
any  account  presume  to  sit  on  a  level  with  him  or 
by  his  side  in  the  divan. 

“  The  divan  itself  was  one  of  the  prettiest  I  met 
with  m  these  paits.  It  was  a  large  scjuare  room, 
looking  out  on  the  large  house-garden,  and  cheer¬ 
fully  lighted  up  by  trellised  windows  on  two 
sides,  while  the  wall  of  the  third  had  purposely  been 
discontinued  at  about  half  its  height,  and  the  open 
space  thus  left  between  it  and  the  roof  propped  by 
pillars,  between  which  4  a  fruitful  vino  by  the  sides 
of  the  house  ’  was  intertwined  so  as  to  till  up  the  in¬ 
terval  with  a  gay  network  of  green  leaves  and  ten- 
drils,  transpaient  like  stained  glass  in  the  eastern 
sunbeams.  Facing  this  cheerful  light,  the  floor  of 
the  apartment  was  raised  about  two  feet  above  the 
rest,  and  covered  with  gay  Persian  carpets,  silk  cush¬ 
ions,  and  the  best  of  Arab  furniture.  In  the  lower 
half  of  the  k  liawah,  and  at  its  farthest  angle,  was 
the  small  stone  coffee-stove,  placed  at  a  distance 
where  its  heat  might  not  annoy  the  master  and  his 
guests.  Many  of  the  city  nobility  would  here 
resort,  and  the  talk  generally  turned  on  serious  sub¬ 
jects,  and  above  all  on  the  parties  and  politics  of 
Arabia  ;  while  Poliey’  would  show  himself  a  tlior- 


180 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


ougli  Arab  patriot,  and  at  the  same  time  a  courteous 
and  indulgent  judge  of  foreigners,  qualities  seldom 
to  be  met  with  together  in  any  notable  degree,  and 
therefore  more  welcome. 

“  Many  a  pleasant  hour  have  I  passed  in  this  half 
greenhouse,  hall  k’hawah,  mid  cheerful  faces  and 
varied  talk,  while  inly  commenting  on  the  natural 
resources  of  this  manly  and  vigorous  people,  and 
straining  the  eye  of  forethought  to  discern  through 
3  curtain  of  the  future  by  what  outlet 
their  now  unfruitful  because  solitary  good  may  be 
brought  into  fertilizing  contact  with  that  of  other 
more  advanced  nations,  to  the  mutual  benefit  of 
each  and  all. 

“  Talk  went  on  with  the  ease  and  decorum  charac¬ 
teristic  of  good  Eastern  society,  without  the  flippan¬ 
cy  and  excitement  which  occasionally  mars  it  in 
some  countries,  no  less  than  over-silence  does  in 
others.  To  my  mind  the  Easterns  are  generally 
superior  in  the  science  of  conversation  to  the  inhab¬ 
itants  of  the  West ;  perhaps  from  a  greater  necessi¬ 
ty  of  cultivating  it,  as  the  only  means  of  general 
news  and  intercourse  where  newspapers  and  pamph¬ 
lets  are  unknown. 

“  Or  else  some  garden  was  the  scene  of  our  after¬ 
noon  leisure,  among  fruit  trees  and  palms,  by  the 
side  of  a  watercourse,  whose  constant  supply  from 
the  well  hid  from  view  among  thick  foliage,  seemed 
the  work  not  of  laborious  art  but  of  unassisted  na¬ 
ture.  Here,  stretched  in  the  cool  and  welcome 
shade,  would  we  for  hours  canvass  with  ’Abd-el- 
Mahsin,  and  others  of  similar  pursuits,  the  respect- 


LIFE  IN  IIA'  TEL. 


181 


ive  merits  of  Arab  poets  and  authors,  of  Omar-ebn- 
el-Farid  or  Aboo’l  ’Ola,  in  meetings  that  had  some¬ 
thing  of  the  Attic,  yet  with  just  enough  of  the  Arab 
to  render  them  more  acceptable  by  their  Semitic 
character  of  grave  cheerfulness  and  mirthful  com¬ 
posure, 

“  Or  when  the  stars  came  out,  Barakat  and  my¬ 
self  would  stroll  out  of  the  heated  air  of  the  streets 
and  market  to  the  cool  open  plain,  and  there  pass  an 
hour  or  two  alone,  or  in  conversation  with  what 
chance  passer-by  might  steal  on  us  half  unperceived 
and  unperceiving  in  the  dusk,  and  amuse  ourselves 
with  his  simplicity  if  he  were  a  Bedouin,  or  with  his 
shrewdness  if  a  townsman. 

“  Thus  passed  our  ordinary  life  at  Ha’yel.  Many 
minor  incidents  occurred  to  diversify  it,  many  of  the 
little  ups  and  downs  that  human  intercourse  never 
fails  to  furnish  ;  sometimes  the  number  of  patients 
and  the  urgency  of  their  attendance  allowed  of  little 
leisure  for  aught  except  our  professional  duties ; 
sometimes  a  day  or  two  would  pass  with  hardly 
any  serious  occupation.  But  of  such  incidents  my 
readers  have  a  sufficient  sample  in  what  has  been 
already  set  down.  Suffice  to  say,  that  from  the  27th 
of  July  to  the  8th  of  September  we  remained  doc¬ 
toring  in  the  capital  or  in  its  immediate  neighbor¬ 
hood.” 

By  this  time  Palgrave  had  obtained  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  country,  and  was  anxious  to 
advance  further  eastward  before  the  autumn — the 
best  season  for  travel — should  be  spent.  Now  the 
journey  across  the  Shomer  frontier  could  only  be 


182 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


pursued  with  Telal’s  cognizance,  and  by  his  good 
will.  In  fact,  a  passport  bearing  the  royal  signa¬ 
ture  is  indispensable  for  all  who  desire  to  cross  the 
boundary,  especially  into  the  Wahabee  territory; 
without  such  a  document  in  hand  no  one  would  ven¬ 
ture  to  conduct  them. 

“  Accordingly,”  he  says,  “  we  requested  and  ob¬ 
tained  a  special  audience  at  the  palace.  Telal,  of 
whose  good  will  we  had  received  frequent,  indeed 
daily  proofs  during  our  sojourn  at  Ha’yel,  proved  a 
sincere  friend — patron  would  be  a  juster  word — to 
the  last  ;  exemplifying  the  Scotch  proverb  about 
the  guest  not  only  who  *  will  stay,’  but  also  who 
‘  maun  gang.’  To  this  end  he  then  dictated  to 
Zamil,  for  Telal  himself  is  no  scribe,  a  passport  or 
general  letter  of  safe  conduct,  enough  to  ensure  us 
good  treatment  within  the  limits  of  his  rule,  and 
even  beyond. 

“  When  this  was  written,  Telal  affixed  his  seal, 
and  rose  to  leave  us  alone  with  Zamil,  after  a  part¬ 
ing  shake  of  the  hand,  and  wishing  us  a  prosperous 
journey  and  speedy  return.  Yet  with  all  these  mo¬ 
tives  for  going,  I  could  not  but  feel  reluctant  to  quit 
a  pleasing  town,  where  we  certainly  possessed  many 
sincere  friends  and  well-wishers,  for  countries  in 
which  we  could  by  no  means  anticipate  equal  favor 
or  even  equal  safety.  Indeed  so  ominous  was  all 
that  we  heard  about  Wahabee  Nedjed,  so  black  did 
the  landscape  before  us  look,  on  nearer  approach, 
that  I  almost  repepted  of  my  resolution,  and  was 
considerably  inclined  to  say,  ‘  Thus  far  enough, 
and  no  farther.’ 


LIFE  IN  HAY  EL. 


183 


e<  ’Obeyd,  Telal’s  uncle,  had  left  Ha’yel  the  day 
before  on  a  military  expedition  against  the  Bedou¬ 
ins  of  the  West.  In  common  with  all  the  sight¬ 
seers  of  the  town,  we  had  gone  to  witness  his  de¬ 
parture.  It  was  a  gay  and  interesting  scene. 
’Obeyd  had  caused  his  tent  to  be  pitched  in  the 
plain  without  the  northern  walls,  and  there  re¬ 
viewed  his  forces.  About  one  third  were  on  horse¬ 
back,  the  rest  were  mounted  on  light  and  speedy 
camels ;  all  had  spears  and  matchlocks,  to  which 
the  gentry  added  swords ;  and  while  they  rode 
hither  and  thither  in  sham  manoeuvres  over  the  pa¬ 
rade  ground,  the  whole  appearance  was  very  pictur¬ 
esque  and  tolerably  martial.  ’Obeyd  now  unfurled 
his  own  peculiar  standard,  in  which  the  green  color, 
distinctive  of  Islam,  had  been  added  border- wise  to 
the  white  ground  of  the  ancestral  Nedjean  banner, 
mentioned  fourteen  centuries  back  by  ’Omar-ebn- 
Kelthoom,  the  poet  of  Taghleb,  and  many  others. 
Barakat  and  myself  mixed  with  the  crowd  of  spec¬ 
tators.  ’Obeyd  saw  us,  and  it  wras  now  several 
days  since  we  had  last  met.  Without  hesitating  he 
cantered  up  to  us,  and  while  he  tendered  his  hand 
for  a  farewell  shake,  he  said  :  c  I  have  heard  that 
you  intend  going  to  Ri’ad ;  there  you  will  meet 
with  ’Abdallah,  the  eldest  son  of  Feysul ;  he  is 
my  particular  friend ;  I  should  much  desire  to  see 
you  high  in  his  good  graces,  and  to  that  end  I  have 
written  him  a  letter  in  your  behalf,  of  -which  you 
yourselves  are  to  be  the  bearers ;  you  will  find  it  in 
my  house,  where  I  have  left  it  for  you  with  one  of 
my  servants.’  He  then  assured  us  that  if  he 


184 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


found  us  still  at  Ha’yel  on  liis  return,  lie  would 
continue  to  befriend  us  in  every  way  ;  but  tha  t  if 
we  journeyed  forward  to  Nedjed,  we  should  meet 
with  a  sincere  friend  in  ’Abdallah,  especially  if  we 
gave  him  the  letter  in  question. 

He  then  took  his  leave  with  a  semblance  of 
affectionate  cordiality  that  made  the  bystanders 
staie  ,  thus  supporting  to  the  last  the  profound  dis¬ 
simulation  which  he  had  only  once  belied  for  a  mo¬ 
ment.  The  letter  was  duly  handed  over  to  us  the 
same  afternoon  by  his  head  steward,  whom  he  had 
left  to  look  after  the  house  and  garden  in  his  ab¬ 
sence.  Doubtless  my  readers  will  be  curious  to 
know  what  sort  of  recommendation  5 Obey d  had 
piovided  us  with.  It  was  written  on  a  small  scrap 
of  thick  paper,  about  four  inches  each  way,  care¬ 
fully  folded  up  and  secured  by  three  seals.  How¬ 
ever,  c  our  fears  forgetting  manners,’  we  thought 
best  with  Hamlet  to  make  perusal  of  this  grand 
commission  before  delivering  it  to  its  destination, 
feo  we  undid  the  seals  with  precautions  admitting  of 
reclosing  them  in  proper  form,  and  read  the  royal 
knaveiy.  I  give  it  word  tor  word ;  it  ran  thus : 

‘  In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful,  the  Compas¬ 
sionate,  we,  ’Obeyd-ebn-Rasheed,  salute  you,  O 
Abdallah,  son  of  Feysul-ebn-Sa’ood,  and  peace  be 
on  you,  and  the  mercy  of  God  and  His  blessings.’ 
(This  is  the  invariable  commencement  of  all  Wa- 
habee  epistles,  to  the  entire  omission  of  the  compli¬ 
mentary  formulas  used  by  other  Orientals.)  ‘  After 
which,  so  proceeded  the  document,  1  we  inform  you 
that  the  bearers  of  this  are  one  Seleem-el-’Eys, 


LIFE  IN  II A'  YE I. 


185 


and  his  comrade,  Barakat-esh-Shamee,  who  give 
themselves  out  for  having  some  knowledge  in  ’ — 
here  followed  a  word  of  equivocal  import,  capable 
of  interpretation  alike  by  ‘  medicine  ’  or  ‘  magic,’ 
but  generally  used  in  Nedjed  for  the  latter,  which  is 
at  Ri’ad  a  capital  crime.  ‘  Now  may  God  forbid 
that  we  should  hear  of  any  evil  having  befallen 
you.  We  salute  also  your  father,  Feysul,  and  your 
brothers,  and  all  your  family,  and  anxiously  await 
your  news  in  answer.  Peace  be  with  you.’  Here 
followed  the  signet  impression. 

“  A  pretty  recommendation,  especially  under  the 
actual  circumstances  !  However,  not  content  with 
this,  ’Obeyd  found  means  to  transmit  further  infor¬ 
mation  regarding  us,  and  all  in  the  same  tenor,  to 
Bi’ad,  as  we  afterwards  discovered.  For  his  letter, 
I  need  hardly  say  that  it  never  passed  from  our 
possession,  where  it  yet  remains  as  an  interesting 
autograph,  to  that  of  ’Abdallah ;  with  whom  it 
would  inevitably  have  proved  the  one  only  thing 
wanting,  as  we  shall  subsequently  see,  to  make  us 
leave  the  forfeit  of  our  lives  in  the  Nedjean  man- 
trap. 

“  Before  evening  three  men  knocked  at  our  door  ; 
they  were  our  future  guides.  The  eldest  bore  the 
name  of  Mubarek,  and  was  a  native  of  the  suburbs 
of  Bereydah  ;  all  three  were  of  the  genuine  Ka- 
seem  breed,  darker  and  lower  in  stature  than  the 
inhabitants  of  Ha’yel,  but  not  ill-looking,  and  ex¬ 
tremely  affable  in  their  demeanor.  Mubarek  told 
us  that  their  departure  from  Ha’yel  had  been  at 
first  fixed  for  the  morrow,  or  the  7th  of  the  month, 


186 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA . 


but  that  owing  to  some  delay  on  the  part  of  their 
companions,  for  the  band  was  a  large  one,  it  had 

been  subsequently  put  off  to  the  8  th,  or  the  day 
after. 

T\  e  had  soon  made  all  necessary  arrangements 
for  our  departure,  got  in  a  few  scattered  debts, 
packed  up  our  pharmacopoeia,  and  nothing  now  re¬ 
mained  but  the  pleasurable  pain  of  farewells.  They 
were  many  and  mutually  sincere.  Meta’ab  had 
indeed  made  his  a  few  days  before,  when  he  a  se¬ 
cond  time  left  Ha’yel  for  the  pastures ;  Telal  we 
had  already  taken  leave  of,  but  there  remained  his 
younger  brother  Mohammed  to  give  us  a  hearty 
adieu  of  good  augury.  Most  of  my  old  acquaint¬ 
ance  or  patients,  Doliey’  the  merchant,  Mohammed 
the  judge,  Dolieym  and  his  family,  not  forgetting 
our  earliest  friend  Seyf  the  chamberlain,  Sa’eed^ 
the  cavaliy  officer,  and  others  of  the  court,  freemen 
and  slaves,  white  or  black,  (for  negroes  readily  fol¬ 
low  the  direction  indicated  by  their  masters,  and 
are  not  ungrateful  if  kindly  treated  while  kept  in 
their  due  position,)  and  many  others  of  whose 
names  Homer  would  have  made  a  catalogue  and  I 
will  not,  heard  of  our  near  departure  and  came  to 
express  their  regrets,  with  hopes  of  future  meeting 
and  return.” 

Eaily  next  morning,  before  day,  Mubarek  and 
another  of  his  countrymen,  named  Dahesh,  were  at 
our  door  with  the  camels.  Some  of  our  town 
Mends  had  also  come,  even  at  this  hour,  to  accom¬ 
pany  us  as  far  as  the  city  gates.  We  mounted  our 


LIFE  IN  HA'YEL . 


187 


beasts,  and  while  the  first  sunbeams  streamed  level 
over  the  plain,  passed  through  the  southwestern 
pornd  beyond  the  market-place,  the  8th  of  Septem¬ 
ber,  1862,  and  left  the  city  of  Ha’yel.” 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PALGRAVE’s  TRAVELS. — JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAH. 

ANOTHER  stage  of  our  way.  From  Gaza  to 
Ma’an,  from  Ma’an  to  the  Djowf,  from  the 
Djowf  to  Ha’yel,  three  such  had  now  been  gone 
over,  not  indeed  without  some  fatigue  or  discomfort, 
yet  at  comparatively  little  personal  risk,  except  what 
nature  herself,  not  man,  might  occasion.  For  to 
cross  the  stony  desert  of  the  northern  frontier,  or 
the  sandy  Nefood  in  the  very  height  of  summer, 
could  not  be  said  to  be  entirely  free  from  danger, 
where  in  these  waterless  wastes  thirst,  if  nothing 
else,  may  alone,  and  often  does,  suffice  to  cause  the 
disappearance  of  the  over-adventurous  traveller, 
nay,  even  of  many  a  Bedouin,  no  less  effectually 
than  a  lance-thrust  or  a  musket  ball.  But  if  nature 
had  been  so  far  unkind,  of  man  at  least  we  had 
hitherto  not  much  to  complain;  the  Bedouins  on 
their  route,  however  rough  and  uncouth  in  their 
ways,  had,  with  only  one  exception,  meant  us  fairly 
well,  and  the  townsmen  in  general  had  proved 
friendly  and  courteous  beyond  our  expectation. 
Once  within  the  established  government  limits  of 
Telal,  and  among  his  subjects,  we  had  enjoyed  our 


JOURNEY  TO  B  ERE  YD  AH. 


189 


share  in  tlie  common  security  afforded  to  wayfarers 
and  inhabitants  for  life  and  property,  while  good 
success  had  hitherto  accompanied  us.  ‘  Judge  of 
the  day  by  its  dawn,’  say  the  Arabs  ;  and  although 
this  proverb,  like  all  proverbs,  does  not  always  hold 
exactly  true,  whether  for  sunshine  or  cloud,  yet  it 
has  its  value  at  times.  And  thus,  whatever  unfavor¬ 
able  predictions  or  dark  forebodings  our  friends 
might  hint  regarding  the  inner  Nedjed  and  its  deni¬ 
zens,  we  trusted  that  so  iavorable  a  past  augured 
somewhat  better  things  for  the  future. 

“  From  physical  and  material  difficulties  like  those 
before  met  with,  there  was  henceforward  much  less 
to  fear.  The  great  heats  of  summer  were  past,  the 
cooler  seasons  had  set  in  ;  besides,  our  path  now  lay 
through  the  elevated  table-land  of  Central  Arabia, 
wdiose  northern  rim  we  had  already  surmounted  at 
our  entrance  on  the  Djebel  Shomer.  Nor  did  there 
remain  any  uncultivated  or  sandy  track  to  cross 
comparable  to  the  Nefo.od  of  Djowf  between  Ha’yel 
and  Bi  ad ;  on  the  contrary,  we  were  to  exjDect  pas¬ 
ture  lands  and  culture,  villages  and  habitations,  cool 
mountain  air,  and  a  sufficiency  if  not  an  abundance 
of  water.  Nor  were  our  fellow  companions  now 
mere  Bedouins  and  savages,  but  men  from  town  01 
village  life,  members  of  organized  society,  and  sc 
far  civilized  beings. 

“  When  adieus,  lookings  back,  wavings  of  the 
hand,  and  all  the  customary  signs  of  farewell  and 
good  omen  were  over  between  our  Ha’yel  friends 
and  ourselves,  we  pursued  our  road  by  the  plain 
w  hich  I  have  already  described  as  having  been  the 


190 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


frequent  scene  of  our  morning  walks ;  but  instead 
of  following  the  southwesterly  path  towards  Kefar, 
whose  groves  and  roof-tops  now  rose  in  a  blended 
mass  before  us,  we  turned  eastward,  and  rounded, 
though  at  some  distance,  the  outer  wall  of  Ha  yel 
for  nearly  half  an  hour,  till  we  struck  off  by  a  south¬ 
easterly  track  across  stony  ground,  diversified  here 
and  there  by  wells,  each  with  a  cluster  of  gardens 
and  a  few  houses  in  its  neighborhood.  At  last  we 
reached  a  narrow  winding  pass  among  the  cliffs  of 
Djebel  ’Aja’,  wdiose  mid-loop  encircles  Ha’yel  on  all 
sides,  and  here  turned  our  heads  to  take  a  last  far- 
off  view  of  what  had  been  our  home,  or  the  agree¬ 
able  semblance  of  a  home,  for  several  weeks. 

“  Our  only  companions  as  yet  were  Mubarek  and 
Dahesh.  We  had  outstripped  the  rest,  whose  bag¬ 
gage  and  equipments  had  required  a  more  tedious 
arrangement  than  our  own.  Before  long  they  came 
up — a  motley  crew.  Ten  or  thereabouts  of  the 
Kaseem,  some  from  Bereydah  itself,  others  from 
neighboring  towns  ;  two  individuals,  who  gave  them¬ 
selves  out,  but  with  more  asseveration  than  truth,  to 
be  natives  of  Mecca  itself ;  three  Bedouins,  two  of 
whom  belonged  to  the  &homer  clan,  the  third  an 
’Anezah  of  the  north  ;  next  a  runaway  negro,  con¬ 
ducting  four  horses,  destined  to  pass  the  whole 
breadth  of  Arabia,  and  to  be  shipped  off  at  Koweyt, 
on  the  Persian  Gulf,  for  Indian  sale  ;  two  merchants, 
one  from  Zulphah,  in  the  province  of  Sedeyr,  the 
other  from  Zobeyr,  near  Bassora  ;  lastly,  two  women, 
wives  of  I  know  not  exactly  whom  in  the  caravan, 
with  some  small  children;  all  this  making  up,  our- 


JOURNEY  TO  B  ERE  YD  AH. 


191 


selves  included,  a  band  of  twenty- seven  or  twenty- 
eight  persons,  the  most  mounted  on  camels,  a  few 
on  horseback,  and  accompanied  by  a  few  beasts  of 
burden  alongside — such  was  our  Canterbury  pil¬ 
grims’  group. 

“  Thus  assembled,  on  we  went  together,  now  amid 
granite  rocks,  now  crossing  grassy  valleys,  till  near 
sunset  we  stopped  under  a  high  cliff,  at  the  extreme 
southerly  verge  of  Djebel  ’Aja’,  or,  in  modern  par¬ 
lance,  of  Djebel  Shomer.  The  mountain  here  ex¬ 
tended  far  away  to  right  and  left,  but  in  front  a 
wide  plain  of  full  twenty  miles  across  opened  out 
before  us,  till  bounded  southwards  by  the  long 
bluish  chain  of  Djebel  Solma,  whose  line  runs  par¬ 
allel  to  the  heights  we  were  now  to  leave,  and 
belongs  to  the  same  formation  and  rocky  mass  de¬ 
nominated  in  a  comprehensive  way  the  mountains 
of  Ta’i  or  Shomer. 

“  At  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  next  day,  we 
saw  some  way  off  to  our  west  a  troop  of  Bedouins 
coming  up  from  the  direction  of  Medina.  While 
they  were  yet  in  the  distance,  and  half  hidden  from 
view  by  the  shrubs  and  stunted  acacias  of  the  plain, 
we  could  not  precisely  distinguish  their  numbers; 
but  they  were  evidently  enough  to  make  us  desire, 
with  Orlando,  ‘  that  we  might  be  better  strangers.* 
On  our  side  we  mustered  about  fifteen  matchlocks, 
besides  a  few  spears  and  swords.  The  Bedouins 
had  already  perceived  us,  and  continued  to  approach, 
though  in  the  desultory  and  circuitous  way  which 
they  affect  when  doubtful  of  the  strength  of  their 


192 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


opponent ;  still  they  gained  on  us  more  than  was 
pleasant. 

“  Fourteen  armed  townsmen  might  stand  for  a 
reasonable  match  against  double  the  number  of 
Bedouins,  and  in  any  case  we  had  certainly  nothing 
better  to  do  than  to  put  a  bold  face  on  the  matter. 
The  ’Eyoon  chief,  Foleyh,  with  two  of  his  country¬ 
men  and  Grhashee,  carefully  primed  their  guns,  and 
then  set  off  at  full  gallop  to  meet  the  advancing 
enemy,  brandishing  their  weapons  over  their  heads, 
and  looking  extremely  tierce.  Under  cover  of  this 
manoeuvre  the  rest  of  our  band  set  about  getting 
their  arms  ready,  and  an  amusing  scene  ensued. 
One  had  lost  his  match,  and  was  hunting  for  it  in 
his  housings,  another  in  his  haste  to  ram  the  bullet 
home  had  it  stuck  midway  in  the  barrel,  and  could 
neither  get  it  up  nor  down  ;  the  lock  of  a  third  was 
rusty  and  would  not  do  duty  ;  the  women  began  to 
whine  piteously  ;  the  two  Meccans,  who  for  econo¬ 
my’s  sake  were  both  riding  one  only  camel,  a  cii- 
cumstance  which  caused  between  them  many  inter¬ 
national  squabbles,  tried  to  make  their  beast  gallop 
off  with  them,  and  leave  the  others  to  their  fate, 
while  the  more  courageous  animal,  despising  such 
cowardly  measures,  insisted  on  remaining  with  his 
companions  and  sharing  their  lot ; — all  was  thor¬ 
oughly  Arab,  much  hubbub  and  little  done.  Had 
the  menacing  feint  of  the  four  who  protected  our 
rear  proved  insufficient,  we  might  all  have  been  in  a 
very  bad  predicament,  and  this  feeling  drew  every 
face  with  reverted  gaze  in  a  backward  direction. 
But  the  Harb  banditti,  intimidated  by  the  bold 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAH. 


193 


countenance  of  Foleyh  and  his  companions,  wheeled 
about  and  commenced  a  skirmishing  retreat,  in 
which  a  few  shots,  guiltless  of  bloodshed,  were  fired 
for  form’s  sake  on  either  side,  till  at  last  our  assail¬ 
ants  fairly  disappeared  in  the  remote  valley. 

“  Our  valiant  champions  now  returned  from  pur¬ 
suit,  much  elated  with  their  success,  and  we  jour¬ 
neyed  on  together,  skirting  the  last  rocky  spur  of 
Solma,  close  by  the  spot  where  Hatim  Ta’i,  the  well 
known  model,  half  mythic  and  half  historical,  of 
Arab  hospitality  and  exagerated  generosity,  is  said 
to  be  buried.  Here  we  crossed  some  low  hills  that 
form  a  sort  of  offshoot  to  the  Solma  mountain,  and 
limit  the  valley ;  and  the  last  rays  of  the  setting 
sun  gilding  to  our  view,  in  a  sandy  bottom  some  way 
off,  the  palm  trees  of  Feyd. 

“  F eyd  may  be  taken  as  a  tolerable  sample  of  the 
villages  met  with  throughout  Northern  or  Upper 
Kaseem,  for  they  all  bear  a  close  likeness  in  their 
main  features,  though  various  in  size.  Imagine  a 
little  sandy  hillock  of  about  sixty  or  seventy  feet 
high,  in  the  midst  of  a  wide  and  dusty  valley  ;  part 
of  the  eminence  itself  and  the  adjoining  bottom  is 
covered  by  low  earth-built  houses,  intermixed  with 
groups  of  the  feathery  itliel.  The  grounds  in  the 
neighborhood  are  divided  by  brick  walls  into  green 
gardens,  where  gourds  and  melons,  leguminous 
plants  and  maize,  grow  alongside  of  an  artificial 
irrigation  from  the  wells  among  them  ;  palms  in 
plenty — they  were  now  heavy  laden  with  red-brown 
fruits ;  and  a  few  peach  or  apricot  trees  complete 
the  general  lineaments.  The  outer  walls  are  low, 


194 


TRA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


and  servo  more  for  the  protection  of  the  gardens 
than  of  the  dwellings  ;  here  are  neither  towers  nor 
trenches,  nor  even,  at  least  in  many  places,  any 
central  castle  or  distinguishable  residence  for  the 
chief ;  his  habitation  is  of  the  same  one-storied  con¬ 
struction  as  those  of  his  neighbors,  only  a  little 
larger.  Some  of  these  townlets  are  quite  recent, 
and  date  from  the  Shomer  annexation,  which  gave 
this  part  of  the  province  a  degree  of  quiet  and 
prosperity  unknown  under  their  former  Waliabee 
rulers. 

“  Next  morning,  the  10th  of  September,  we  were 
all  up  by  moonlight,  two  or  three  hours  before 
dawn,  and  off  on  our  road  to  the  southeast.  The 
whole  country  that  we  had  to  traverse  for  the  ne^t 
four  days  was  of  so  uniform  a  character,  that  a  few 
words  of  description  may  here  serve  for  the  land¬ 
scape  of  this  entire  stage  of  our  journey. 

“  Upper  Kaseem  is  an  elevated  plateau  or  steppe, 
and  forms  part  of  a  long  upland  belt,  crossing  di¬ 
agonally  the  northern  half  of  the  peninsula ;  one 
extremity  reaches  the  neighborhood  of  Zobeyr  and 
the  Euphrates,  while  the  other  extends  downwards 
to  the  vicinity  of  Medina.  Its  surface  is  in  general 
covered  with  grass  in  the  spring  and  summer  sea¬ 
sons,  and  with  shrubs  and  brushwood  at  all  times, 
and  thus  affords  excellent  pasture  for  sheep  and 
camels.  Across  it  blows  the  fresh  eastern  gale,  so 
celebrated  in  Arab  poetry  under  the  name  of  ‘  Seba 
Nedjin,’  or  ‘  Zephyr  of  Nedjed  ’  (only  it  comes  from 
precisely  the  opposite  corner  to  the  Greek  or  Roman 
Zephyr),  and  continually  invoked  by  sentimental 


JOURNEY  TO  B ERE YD AIL 


195 


bards  to  bring  them  news  of  imaginary  loves  or 
pleasing  reminiscences.  No  wonder ;  for  most  of 
these  versifiers  being  themselves  natives  of  the  bar¬ 
ren  Hedjaz  or  the  scorching  Tehama,  perhaps  inhab¬ 
itants  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  and  knowing  little  of 
Arabia,  except  what  they  have  seen  on  the  dreary 
Meccan  pilgrim  road,  they  naturally  look  back  to 
with  longing,  and  frequently  record,  whatever 
glimpses  chance  may  have  allowed  them  of  the 
cooler  and  more  fertile  highlands  of  the  centre,  de¬ 
nominated  by  them  Nedjed,  in  a  general  way,  with 
their  transient  experience  of  its  fresh  and  invigor¬ 
ating  climate,  of  its  courteous  men  and  sprightly 
maidens. 

“  But  when,  nor  is  this  seldom,  the  sweet  smell  of 
the  aromatic  tliyme-like  plants  that  here  abound, 
mixes  with  the  light  morning  breeze  and  enhances 
its  balmy  influence,  then  indeed  can  one  excuse  the 
raptures  of  an  Arab  Ovid  or  Theocritus,  and  appre¬ 
ciate — at  least  I  often  did — their  yearnings  after 
Nedjed,  and  all  the  praises  they  lavish  on  its 
memory. 


“  Then  said  I  to  my  companion,  while  the  camels  were  hastening 
To  bear  us  down  the  pass  between  Meneefah  and  Demar, 

‘  Enjoy  while  tnou  canst  the  sweets  of  tae  meadows  of  Nedjed: 

With  no  such  meadows  and  sweets  sh  dt  thou  meet  after  this  evening. 
Ah!  heaven’s  blessing  on  the  scented  ga'es  of  Nedjed, 

And  its  greenswu-d  and  groves  glittering  from  the  spring  shower, 

An  J  thy  dear  friends,  when  thy  lot  was  cast  awhile  in  Nedjed — 

Little  had  t  thou  to  complain  of  wuat  the  days  brought  thee  ; 

Months  flew  past,  tuey  passed  and  we  perceived  not, 

Nor  when  their  moons  were  new,  nor  wnen  they  waned.'  ” 


For  three  days  more 


they  travelled  forward 


ovet 


196 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


this  undulating  table-land,  making  from  sixty  to 
seventy  miles  a  day.  The  view  was  extensive,  but 
rather  monotonous.  There  were  no  high  moun¬ 
tains,  no  rivers,  no  lakes,  no  deep  valleys  ;  but  a 
constant  repetition  of  stony  uplands,  shallow  and 
sandy  hollows,  and  villages  surrounded  by  belts  of 
palm-groves,  the  extent  and  direction  of  which  in¬ 
dicated  the  subterranean  water-courses. 

On  the  third  evening  they  reached  Kowarah,  the 
most  southern  station  in  Telal  territory— a  large 
village,  lying  in  a  wooded  and  well-watered  hollow. 
Here  they  still  found  the  order  and  security  which 
that  ruler  has  established,  and  maintains  every¬ 
where  throughout  his  dominions.  Leaving  the  next 
morning,  the  14th  of  September,  they  crossed  a 
few  low  hills,  came  to  a  sudden  dip  in  the  general 
level  of  the  country,  and  then  the  extent  of  South¬ 
ern  Ixaseem  burst  suddenly  upon  their  view. 

“  Now,  for  the  first  time,”  says  Palgrave,  “we 
could  in  some  measure  appreciate  the  strength  of 
the  Wahabee  in  his  mastery  over  such  a  land. 
Before  us  to  the  utmost  horizon  stretched  an  im¬ 
mense  plain,  studded  with  towns  and  villages, 
towers  and  groves,  all  steeped  in  the  dazzling  noon, 
and  announcing  everywhere  life,  opulence,  and  ac¬ 
tivity.  The  average  breadth  of  this  poA  ulous  dis¬ 
trict  is  about  sixty  miles,  its  length  twice  as 
much,  or  more  ;  it  lies  full  two  hundred  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  uplands,  which  here  break  off  like  a 
wall.  Fifty  or  more  good  sized  villages  and  four  or 
five  large  towns  form  the  commercial  and  agricul¬ 
tural  centres  of  the  province,  and  its  surface  is 


TIIE  VILLAGE  OF  EL  SUWAYRKIYAH 


. 


% 


ft 


V  •  • ■ 


. 

■ 

.  .• 


.. 


-  *  *• 


JOURNEY  TO  B  ERE  YD  AH. 


197 


moreover  thick  strewn  with  smaller  hamlets,  iso¬ 
lated  wells  and  gardens,  and  traversed  by  a  network 
.  of  tracks  in  every  direction.  Here  begin  and  hence 
extend  to  Djebel  Toweyk  itself,  the  series  of  high 
watch-towers  that  afford  the  inhabitants  a  means, 
denied  otherwise  by  their  level  Hats,  of  discerning 
from  afar  the  approach  of  foray  or  invasion,  and 
thus  preparing  for  resistance.  For  while  no  part. of 
Central  Arabia  has  an  older  or  a  better  established 
title  to  civilization  or  wealth,  no  part  also  has  been 
the  starting-point  and  theatre  of  so  many  wars, 
or  witnessed  the  gathering  of  such  numerous  armies. 

“  We  halted  for  a  moment  on  the  verge  of  the 
uplands  to  enjoy  the  magnificent  prospect  before  us. 
Below  lay  the  wide  plain  ;  at  a  few  miles’  distance 
we  saw  the  thick  palm  groves  of  ’Eyoon,  and  what 
little  of  its  towers  and  citadel  the  dense  foliage  per¬ 
mitted  to  the  eye.  Far  off  on  our  right,  that  is,  to 
the  west,  a  large  dark  patch  marked  the  tillage  and 
plantations  which  girdle  the  town  of  Bass  ;  other 
villages  and  hamlets  too  were  thickly  scattered  over 
the  landscape.  All  along  the  ridge  where  we  stood, 
and  visible  at  various  distances  down  the  level,  rose 
the  tall  circular  watch-towers  of  Kaseem.  But 
immediately  before  us  stood  a  more  remarkable 
monument,  one  that  fixed  the  attention  and  wonder 
even  of  our  Arab  companions  themselves. 

“  For  hardly  had  we  descended  the  narrow  path 
where  it  winds  from  ledge  to  ledge  down  to  the 
bottom,  when  saw  before  us  several  huge  stones, 
ffke  enormous  boulders,  placed  endways  perpendicu¬ 
larly  on  the  soil,  while  some  of  them  yet  upheld 


198 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


similar  masses  laid  transversely  over  their  summit. 
They  were  arranged  in  a  curve,  once  forming  part, 
it  would  appear,  of  a  large  circle,  and  many  other 
like  fragments  lay  rolled  on  the  ground  at  a  mod¬ 
erate  distance;  the  number  of  those  still  upright 
was,  to  speak  by  memory,  eight  or  nine.  Two,  at 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  apart  one  from  the  other, 
and  resembling  huge  gate  posts,  yet  bore  their  hori¬ 
zontal  lintel,  a  long  block  laid  across  them  ;  a  few 
were  deprived  of  their  upper  traverse,  the  rest 
supported  each  its  head-piece  in  defiance  of  time 
and  of  the  more  destructive  efforts  of  man.  So 
nicely  balanced  did  one  of  these  cross-bars  appear, 
that  in  hope  it  might  prove  a  rocking-stone,  I 
guided  my  camel  right  under  it,  and  then  stretching 
up  my  riding-stick  at  arm’s-length  could  just  man¬ 
age  to  touch  and  push  it,  but  it  did  not  stir.  Mean¬ 
while  the  respective  heights  of  camel,  rider,  and 
stick  taken  together  would  place  the  stone  in  ques¬ 
tion  full  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground. 

“  These  blocks  seem,  by  their  quality,  to  have 
been  hewn  from  the  neighboring  limestone  cliff,  and 
roughly  shaped,  but  present  no  further  trace  of  art, 
no  groove  or  cavity  of  sacrificial  import,  much  less 
anything  intended  for  figure  or  ornament.  The 
people  of  the  country  attribute  their  erection  to 
Darim,  and  by  his  own  hands,  too,  seeing  that  he 
was  a  giant ;  perhaps,  also,  for  some  magical  cere¬ 
mony,  since  he  wras  a  magician.  Pointing  towards 
pass,  our  companions  affirmed  that  a  second  and 
similar  stone  circle,  also  of  gigantic  dimensions, 
existed  there ;  and,  lastly,  they  mentioned  a  third 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYLAH. 


199 


towards  the  southwest,  that  is,  on  the  confines  of 
Hedjaz. 

“  Here,  as  in  most  parts  of  Arabia,  the  staple 
article  of  cultivation  is  the  date  palm.  Of  this  tree 
there  are,  however,  many  widely  differing  species, 
and  Kaseem  can  boast  of  containing  the  best  known 
anywhere,  the  Klialas  of  Hasa  alone  excepted.  The 
ripening  season  coincides  with  the  latter  half  ol 
August  and  the  first  of  September,  and  we  had 
thus  an  ample  opportunity  for  testing  the  produce. 
Those  who,  like  most  Europeans  at  home,  only 
know  the  date  from  the  dried  specimens  of  that 
fruit  shown  beneath  a  label  in  shop-windows,  can 
hardly  imagine  how  delicious  it  is  when  eaten  fresh 
and  in  Central  Arabia.  Nor  is  it  when  newly- 
gathered  heating,  a  defect  inherent  to  the  preserved 
fruit  everywhere ;  nor  does  its  richness,  however 
great,  bring  satiety  :  in  short,  it  is  an  article  of  food 
alike  pleasant  and  healthy.  Its  cheapness  in  its  na¬ 
tive  land  might  astonish  a  Londoner.  Enough  of 
the  very  best  dates  from  the  Bereydali  gardens  to  fill 
a  large  Arab  handkerchief,  about  fifteen  inches  each 
way,  almost  to  bursting,  cost  Barakat  and  myself 
the  moderate  sum  of  three  farthings.  We  hung  it 
up  from  the  roof-beam  of  our  apartment  to  preserve 
the  luscious  fruit  from  the  ants,  and  it  continued  to 
drip  molten  sweetness  into  a  sugary  pool  on  the 
floor  below  for  three  days  together,  before  we  had 
demolished  the  contents,  though  it  figured  at  every 
dinner  and  supper  during  that  period. 

“  We  were  soon  under  the  outer  walls  of  ’E’yoon, 
a  good-sized  town  containing  at  least  ten  thousand 


200 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


inhabitants  according  to  my  rough  computation, 
Its  central  site,  at  the  very  juncture  of  the  great 
northern  and  western  lines  of  communication, 
renders  it  important,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  care¬ 
fully  fortified,  that  is,  for  the  country,  and  furnished 
with  watch-towers,  much  resembling  manufacturing 
chimneys  in  size  and  shape,  besides  a  massive  and 
capacious  citadel.  My  readers  may  anticipate  ana¬ 
logous,  though  proportionate,  features  in  most  other 
towns  and  villages  of  this  province. 

“  Between  the  town  walls  and  the  sand  hills  close 
by  was  a  sheltered  spot,  where  we  took  about  four 
hours  of  sleep,  till  the  waning  moon  rose.  Then 
all  were  once  more  in  movement,  camels  gnarling, 
men  loading,  and  the  doctor  and  his  apprentice 
mounting  their  beasts,  all  for  Bereydah.  But  that 
town  was  distant,  and  when  day  broke  at  last  there 
was  yet  a  long  road  to  traverse.  This  now  lay 
amid  mounds  and  valleys,  thick  with  the  vegetation 
already  described  ;  and  somewhat  after  sunrise  we 
took  a  full  hour  to  pass  the  gardens  and  fields  of 
Ghat,  a  straggling  village,  where  a  dozen  wells 
supplied  the  valley  with  copious  irrigation.  On 
the  adjoining  hillocks — I  may  not  call  them 
heights — was  continued  the  series  of  watch-towers, 
corresponding  with  others  farther  off  that  belonged 
to  villages  seen  by  glimpses  in  the  landscape  ;  I 
heard,  but  soon  forgot,  their  names.  Inability  to 
note  down  at  once  similar  details  was  a  great  an¬ 
noyance  to  me ;  but  the  sight  of  a  pencil  and 
pocket-book  would  have  been  just  then  particu¬ 
larly  out  of  place,  and  I  was  obliged  to  trust  to 


JOURNEY  TO  BERK  YD  AH. 


201 


memory,  which  on  this,  as  on  too  many  other  occa¬ 
sions,  played  me  false. 

“  A  march  of  ten  or  twelve  hours  had  tired  us, 
and  the  weather  was  oppressively  close,  no  uncom¬ 
mon  phenomenon  in  Kaseem,  where,  what  between 
low  sandy  ground  and  a  southerly  latitude,  the 
climate  is  much  more  sultry  than  in  Djebel  Shomer, 
01  the  mountains  of  Toweyk.  So  that  we  were  very 
glad  when  the  ascent  of  a  slight  eminence  discov- 
eied  to  our  gaze  the  long-desired  town  of  Berey- 
dah,  whose  oval  fortifications  rose  to  view  amid  an 
open  and  cultivated  plain.  It  was  a  view  for 
Turner.  An  enormous  watch -lower,  near  a  hun- 
died  feet  in  height,  a  minaret  of  scarce  inferior  pro- 
poitions,  a  mass  of  bastioned  walls,  such  as  we  had 
not  yet  witnessed  in  Arabia,  green  groves  around 
and  thickets  of  ithel,  all  under  the  dreamy  glare  of 
noon,  offered  a  striking  spectacle,  far  surpassing 
whatever  I  had  anticipated,  and  announced  popu¬ 
lousness  and  wealth.  We  longed  to  enter  those 
gates  and  walk  those  streets.  But  we  had  yet  a 
delay  to  wear  out.  At  about  a  league  from  the 
town  our  guide  Mubarek  led  us  off  the  main  road 
to  the  right,  up  and  down  several  little  but  steep 
sand  hills,  and  hot  declivities,  till  about  two  in  the 
afternoon,  half  roasted  with  the  sun,  we  reached, 
never  so  weary,  his  garden  gate. 

“  morning  was  bright,  yet  cool,  when  we  got 
free  of  the  maze  of  ithel  and  sand-slopes,  and 
vnteied  the  lanes  that  traverse  the  garden  circle 
round  the  town,  in  all  quiet  and  security.  But  our 
approach  to  Bereydah  was  destined  to  furnish  us 


202 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


an  unexpected  and  « undesired  surprise,  though 
indeed  less  startling  than  that  which  discomposed 
our  first  arrival  at  Ha’yel.  We  had  just  passed  a 
well  near  the  angle  of  a  garden  wall,  when  we  saw 
a  man  whose  garb  and  appearance  at  once  bespoke 
him  for  a  muleteer  of  the  north,  watering  a  couple 
of  mules  at  the  pool  hard  by.  Barakat  and  I  stared 
with  astonishment,  and  could  hardly  believe  our 
eyes.  For  since  the  day  we  left  Gaza  for  the  south¬ 
eastern  desert,  we  had  never  met  with  a  like  dress 
nor  with  these  animals ;  and  how  then  came  they 
here  ?  But  there  was  no  mistaking  either  the  man 
or  the  beasts,  and  as  the  muleteer  raised  his  head 
to  look  at  the  passers  by,  he  also  started  at  our 
sight,  and  evidently  recognized  in  us  something  that 
took  him  unawares.  But  the  riddle  was  soon 
solved.  A  few  paces  farther  on,  our  way  opened 
out  on  the  great  plain  that  lies  immediately  under 
the  town  walls  to  the  north.  This  space  was  now 
covered  with  tents  and  thronged  with  men  of 
foreign  dress  and  bearing,  mixed  with  Arabs  of  town 
and  desert,  women  and  children,  talking  and  quar¬ 
relling,  buying  and  selling,  going  and  coming  ; 
everywhere  baskets  full  of  dates  and  vegetables, 
platters  bearing  eggs  and  butter,  milk  and  whey, 
meat  hung  on  poles,  bundles  of  firewood,  etc., 
stood  ranged  in  rows,  horsemen  and  camel-men 
were  riding  about  between  groups  seated  round 
fires  or  reclining  against  their  baggage ;  in  the 
midst  of  all  this  medley  a  gilt  ball  surmounted  a 
large  white  pavilion  of  a  make  that  I  had  not  seen 
since  last  I  left  India  some  eleven  years  before,  and 


AN  ARAB  ENCAMPMENT 


-• 


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JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAH. 


203 


numerous  smaller  tents  of  striped  cloth,  and 
certainly  not  of  Arab  fashion,  clustered  around  ;  a 
lively  scene,  especially  of  a  clear  morning,  but  re¬ 
quiring  some  explanation  from  its  exotic  and  non- 
Arab  character.  These  tents  belonged  to  the  great 
caravan  of  Persian  pilgrims,  on  their  return  from 
Medina  to  Meshid  ’Alee  by  the  road  of  Kaseem, 
and  hence  all  this  unusual  concourse  and  bustle. 

“  Passing  a  little  on  to  the  east,  we  left  the 
crowded  encampment  on  one  side  and  turned  to 
enter  the  city  gates.  Here,  and  this  is  generally 
the  case  in  the  larger  Arab  towns  of  old  date, 
the  fortifications  surround  houses  alone,  and  the 
gardens  all  lie  without,  sometimes  defended — at 
’Oneyzah,  for  example — by  a  second  outer  girdle  of 
walls  and  towers,  but  sometimes,  as  at  Berevdah, 
devoid  of  any  mural  protection.  The  towm  itself  is 
composed  exclusively  of  streets,  houses,  and  market¬ 
places,  and  bears  in  consequence  a  more  regular 
appearance  than  the  recent  and  village-like  arrange¬ 
ments  of  the  Djowf  and  even  of  Ha’yel.  We 
passed  a  few  streets,  tolerably  large  but  crooked, 
«md  then  made  the  camels  kneel  down  in  a  little 
square  or  public  place,  where  I  remained  seated  by 
them  on  the  baggage,  switch  in  hand,  like  an  ordi¬ 
nary  Arab  traveller,  and  Barakat  with  Mubarbek 
went  in  search  of  lodgings. 

“  Very  long  did  the  half-hour  seem  to  me  during 
which  I  had  thus  to .  mount  guard  till  my  com¬ 
panions  returned  from  their  quest ;  the  streets  were 
full  of  people,  and  a  disagreeable  crowd  of  the  lower 
sort  was  every  moment  collecting  round  myself  and 


204 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


my  camels,  with  all  the  inquisitiveness  of  the  idle 
and  vulgar  in  every  land.  At  last  my  companions 
came  back  to  say  that  they  had  found  what  they 
wanted ;  a  kick  or  two  brought  the  camels  on 
their  legs  again,  and  we  moved  off  to  our  new 
quarters. 

“  The  house  in  question  was  hardly  more  than 
five  minutes’  walk  from  the  north  gate,  and  at  about 
an  equal  distance  only  from  the  gread  market-place 
on  the  other  side.  Its  position  was  therefore  good. 
It  possessed  two  large  rooms  on  the  ground  story, 
and  three  smaller,  besides  a  spacious  courtyard, 
surrounded  by  high  walls.  A  winding  stair  of 
irregular  steps  and  badly  lighted,  like  all  in  the 
Nedjed,  led  up  to  an  extent  of  flat  roof,  girt  round 
by  a  parapet  six  feet  high,  and  divided  into  two 
compartments  by  a  cross- wall,  thus  affording  a  very 
tolerable  place  for  occupation  morning  and  evening, 
at  the  hours  when  the  side-walls  might  yet  project 
enough  shade  to  shelter  those  seated  alongside 
of  them,  besides  an  excellent  sleeping-place  for 
night.” 

The  day  after  their  arrival  they  made  a  call  upon 
Mohanna,  the  ruler  of  Bereydah,  in  order  to  ask  his 
assistance  in  proceeding  to  Nedjed.  But  he  was 
too  busy  in  devising  means  to  exact  more  tribute- 
money  from  the  Persian  pilgrims,  to  give  any 
notice  to  two  persons,  whose  dress  and  appearance 
gave  no  token  of  wealth.  This  neglect  afterwards 
proved  to  be  a  piece  of  good  fortune.  They  then 
spent  several  days  in  a  vain  attempt  to  find  camels 
and  guides  ;  no  one  was  willing  to  undertake  the 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAE. 


205 


service.  The  central  province  of  Nedjed,  the 
genuine  Wahabee  country,  is  to  the  rest  of  Arabia 
a  sort  of  lion’s  den,  into  which  few  venture  and  yet 
fewer  return.  An  elderly  man  of  Bereydah,  of  whom 
Palgrave  demanded  information,  simply  replied, 
“It  is  Nedjed  ;  he  who  enters  it  does  not  come  out 
again,”  and  this  is  almost  literally  true.  Its  moun¬ 
tains,  once  the  fastnesses  of  robbers  and  assassins, 
are  at  the  present  day  equally  or  even  more  formid¬ 
able  as  the  stronghold  ol  fanatics  who  consider 
every  one  save  themselves  an  infidel  or  a  heretic, 
and  who  regard  the  slaughter  of  an  infidel  or  a 
heretic  as  a  duty,  at  least  a  merit.  In  addition  to 
this  general  cause  of  anticipating  a  worse  than  cold 
reception  in  Nedjed,  wars  and  bloodshed,  aggression 
and  tyranny,  have  heightened  the  original  anti¬ 
pathy  of  .the  surrounding  population  into  special 
and  definite  resentment  for  wrongs  received,  per¬ 
haps  inflicted,  till  Nedjed  has  become  for  all  but  her 
born  sons  doubly  dangerous,  and  doubly  hateful. 

Another  circumstance,  which  seemed  to  make 
Palgrave  s  situation  more  difficult,  although  it  was 
equally  fortunate  in  the  end,  was  a  rebellion  which 
had  broken  out  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Oneyzah, 
headed  by  Zamil,  a  native  chief.  The  town  was  at 
that  time  besieged  by  the  Wahabees,  yet  held  out 
gallantly,  and  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  all 
Kaseem  was  so  strongly  on  the  side  of  Zamil,  that 
only  the  presence  of  the  Wahabee  troops  in  Berey¬ 
dah  kept  that  city,  also,  from  revolt.  The  rebels 
had  sent  deputations  to  Mecca  and  also  to  Djebel 
Shomer  for  assistance,  and  there  seemed  to  be  some 


20(5 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA . 


possibility  of  a  general  Central  Arabian  revolt 
against  the  bated  Wahabee  supremacy.  It  seemed 
thus  to  be  a  most  unpropitious  time  for  penetrating 
the  stronghold  of  Nedjed.  Palgrave  did  not  so 
much  fear  the  suspicion  of  being  a  European,  as  that 
of  being  an  Ottoman  spy.  His  first  need,  however, 
was  the  means  of  going  forward  safely.  He  thus 
described  how  an  apparent  chance  made  him 
acquainted  with  the  man  to  whom  almost  the  entire 
success  of  his  later  travels  was  due  : 

“  It  was  the  sixth  day  after  our  arrival,  and  the 
22d  of  September,  when  about  noon  I  was  sitting 
alone  and  rather  melancholy,  and  trying  to  beguile 
the  time  with  reading  the  incomparable  Divan  of 
Ebn-el-Earid,  the  favorite  companion  of  my  travels. 
Barakat  had  at  my  request  betaken  himself  out  of 
doors,  less  in  hopes  of  success  than  to  ‘  go  to  and 
fro  in  the  earth  and  walk  up  and  down  in  it ;  ’  nor 
did  I  now  dare  to  expect  that  he  would  return  any 
wiser  than  he  had  set  forth.  When  lo  !  after  along 
two  hours’  absence,  he  came  in  with  cheerful  face, 
index  of  good  tidings. 

“  Good,  indeed,  they  were,  none  better.  Their 
bearer  said,  that  after  roaming  awhile  to  no  purport 
through  the  streets  and  market-place,  he  had  be¬ 
thought  him  a  visit  to  the  Persian  camp.  There, 
while  straying  among  the  tents, £  like  a  washerman  s 
dog,’  a  Hindoo  would  say,  he  noticed  somewhat 
aloof  from  the  crowd,  a  small  group  of  pilgrims 
seated  near  their  baggage  on  the  sand,  while  curls 
of  smoke  going  up  from*  amid  the  circle  indicated 
the  presence  of  a  fire,  which  at  that  time  of  day 


JOURNEY  TO  B  ERE  FRAIL 


207 


sould  be  for  nothing  else  than  coffee.  Civilized 

though  Barakat  undoubtedly  was,  he  was  yet  by 

blood  and  heart  an  Arab,  and  for  an  Arab  to  see 

coffee-making,  and  not  to  put  himself  in  the  way  of 
# 

getting  a  share,  would  be  an  act  of  self-restraint  to¬ 
tally  unheard -of  ;  so  he  approached  the  group,  and 
was  of  course  invited  to  sit  down  and  drink.  The  par¬ 
ty  consisted  of  two  wealthy  Persians,  accompanied 
by  three  or  four  of  that  class  of  men,  half  servants, 
half  companions,  who  often  hook  on  to  travellers  at 
Bagdad  or  its  neighborhood,  besides  a  mulatto  of 
Arabo-negrine  origin,  and  his  master,  this  last  being 
the  leader  of  the  band,  and  the  giver  of  the  aromatic 
entertainment. 

“  Barakat’s  whole  attention  was  at  once  engrossed 
by  this  personage.  A  remarkably  handsome  face, 
of  a  type  evidently  not  belonging  to  the  Arab  pen¬ 
insula,  long  hair  curling  down  to  the  shoulders,  an 
over-dress  of  fine  spun  silk,  somewhat  soiled  by 
travel,  a  colored  handkerchief  of  Syrian  manufac¬ 
ture  on  the  head,  a  manner  and  look  indicating  an 
education  much  superior  to  that  ordinary  in  his 
class  and  occupation,  a  camel-driver’s,  were  pecu¬ 
liarities  sufficient  of  themselves  to  attract  notice, 
and  give  rise  to  conjecture.  But  when  these  went 
along  with  a  welcome  and  a  salute  in  the  forms  and 
tone  of  Damascus  or  Aleppo,  and  a  ready  flow  of 
that  superabundant  and  overcharged  politeness  for 
which  the  Syrian  subjects  of  the  Turkish  empire 
are  renowned,  Barakat  could  no  longer  doubt  that 
he  had  a  fellow-countryman,  and  one,  too,  of  some 
note,  before  him. 


20S 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


“  Sncli  was  in  fact  the  case.  Aboo-’Eysa,  to  give 
him  the  name  by  which  he  was  commonly  known  in 
these  parts,  though  in  his  own  country  he  bears 
another  denomination,  was  a  native  of  Aleppo,  and 
son  of  a  not  unimportant  individual  in  that  fair  city. 
H's  education,  and  the  circumstances  of  his  early 
youth,  had  rendered  him  equally  conversant  with 
townsmen  and  herdsmen,  with  citizens  and  Bedou¬ 
ins,  with  Arabs  and  Europeans.  By  lineal  descent 
he  was  a  Bedouin,  since  his  grandfather  belonged 
to  the  Mejadimah,  who  are  themselves  an  offshoot 
of  the  Benoo-Khalid  ;  but  in  habits,  thoughts  and. 
manners  he  was  a  very  son  of  Aleppo,  where  he 
had  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  When  about  twenty-live  years  of  age,  he 
became  involved,  culpably  or  not,  in  the  great  con¬ 
spiracy  against  the  Turkish  government  which  broke 
out  in  the  Aleppine  insurrection  of  1852.  Like 
many  others  he  was  compelled  to  anticipate  conse¬ 
quences  by  a  prompt  flight.” 

After  trying  commerce  in  order  to  retrieve  his 
ruined  fortunes,  but  with  ill  success,  Aboo-’Eysa 
engaged  in  the  horse  trade  between  Persia  and 
Arabia,  and  also  failed.  He  then  went  to  Bi’ad,  the 
capital  of  Nedjed,  and  by  presents  to  Feysul,  the 
chief,  obtained  a  post  as  guide  to  the  Persian  cara¬ 
vans  of  pilgrims  to  Mecca,  across  Arabia.  At  this 
time  he  had  followed  that  career  for  three  years, 
and  had  amassed  considerable  wealth,  for  his  polite¬ 
ness,  easy  manners  and  strict  probity  made  him 
popular  with  the  pilgrims. 

*•  He  recognized  a  feflow-countryman  in  Barakat/' 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAIl 


209 


sajs  Palgrave,  “received  him  with  marked  polite¬ 
ness,  and  carefully  informed  himself  of  our  whence 
and  whither.  Barakat,  overjoyed  to  find  at  last  a 
kind  of  opening  after  difficulties  that  had  appeared 
to  obstruct  all  further  progress,  made  no  delay  in 
inquiring  whether  he  would  undertake  our  guidance 
to  Ri’ad.  Aboo-’Eysa  replied  that  he  was  just  on 
the  point  of  separating  from  his  friends  the  Persians, 
whose  departure  would  leave  camels  enough  and  to 
spare  at  his  disposition,  and  that  so  far  there  was 
no  hindrance  to  the  proposal.  As  for  the  Walia- 
bees,  and  their  unwillingness  to  admit  strangers 
within  their  limits,  he  stated  himself  to  be  well 
known  to  them,  and  that  in  his  company  we  should 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  their  suspicious  criticism.” 

The  agreement  was  made  at  once,  and  the  travel- 
leis  now  only  waited  until  their  new  companion 
should  have  made  some  final  arrangements  with  the 
Persian  pilgrims,  who  were  to  travel  directly  from 
Bereydah  to  Bagdad.  In  the  mean  time,  the  former 
took  advantage  of  the  delay  to  see  as  much  as  pos- 
siole  of  the  place,  and  even  to  make  excursions  in 
the  neighborhood,  especially  in  the  direction  of  the 
beleaguered  city  of  Oneyzah.  Palgrave’s  descrip¬ 
tion  of  the  place  shows  that  it  possesses  the  sanu 
general  features  as  the  other  Arabian  towns,  yet 
may  be  quoted  for  its  intrinsic  picturesqueness : 

Barakat  and  myseli  have  made  our  morning 
household  purchases  at  the  fair,  and  the  sun  being 
now  an  hour  or  more  above  the  horizon,  we  think  it 
time  to  visit  the  market  place  of  the  town,  which 
would  hardly  be  open  sooner.  We  re-enter  the  city 


213 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


gate,  and  pass  on  our  way  by  our  house  door,  where 
we  leave  our  bundle  of  eatables,  and  regain  the  high 
street  of  Bereydah.  Before  long  we  reach  a  high 
arch  across  the  road ;  this  gate  divides  the  market 
from  the  rest  of  the  quarter.  We  enter  :  first  of  all 
we  see  a  long  range  of  butchers’  shops  on  either 
side,  thick  hung  with  flesh  of  sheep  and  camel,  and 
very  dirtily  kept.  Were  not  the  air  pure  and  the 
climate  healthy,  the  plague  would  assuredly  bo 
endemic  here  ;  but  in  Arabia  no  special  harm  seems 
to  follow.  We  hasten  on,  and  next  pass  a  series  of 
cloth  and  linen  warehouses,  stocked  partly  with 
home  manufacture,  but  more  imported ;  Bagdad 
cloaks  and  head-gear  for  instance,  Syrian  shawls  and 
Egyptian  slippers.  Here  markets  follow  the  law 
general  throughout  the  East,  that  all  shops  or  stores 
of  the  same  description  should  be  clustered  togeth¬ 
er,  a  system  whose  advantages  on  the  -whole  out¬ 
weigh  its  inconveniences,  at  least  for  small  towns 
like  these.  In  the  large  cities  and  capitals  of 
Europe,  greater  extent  of  locality  requires  evidently 
a  different  method  of  arrangement;  it  might  be  awk¬ 
ward  for  the  inhabitants  of  Hyde  Park  were  no  hat¬ 
ters  to  be  found  nearer  than  the  Tower.  But  what 
is  Bereydah  compared  even  with  a  second-rate 
European  city  ?  However,  in  a  crowd,  it  yields  to 
none ;  the  streets  at  this  time  of  tne  day  are 
thronged  to  choking,  and  to  make  matters  worse,  a 
huge  splay-footed  camel  comes  every  now  and  then, 
heaving  from  side  to  side  like  a  lubber-rowed  boat, 
with  a  long  beam  on  his  back  menacing  the  heads 
of  those  in  tiie  way,  or  with  two  enormous  loads  of 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAH. 


211 


fiie-wood,  each  as  large  as  himself,  sweeping  the 
road  before  him  of  men,  women,  and  children,  while 
the  driver,  high-perched  on  the  hump,  regards  such 
tulles  with  the  most  supreme  indifference,  so  long  as 
he  brushes  his  path  open.  Sometimes  there  is  a 
whole  string  of  these  beasts,  the  head  rope  of  each 
tied  to  the  crupper  of  his  precursor,  very  uncom¬ 
fortable  passengers  when  met  with  at  a  narrow  turn¬ 
ing. 

Through  such  obstacles  we  have  found  or  made 
our  way,  and  are  now  amid  leather  and  shoemakers’ 
shops,  then  among  copper  and  iron  smiths,  whose 
united  clang  might  waken  the  dead  or  kill  the 
living,  till  at  last  we  emerge  on  the  central  town- 
square,  not  a  bad  one  either,  nor  very  irregular,  con¬ 
sidering  that  it  is  in  Kaseem.  About  half  one  side 
is  taken  up  by  the  great  mosque,  an  edifice  near  two 
centuries  old,  judging  by  its  style  and  appearance, 
but  it  bears  on  no  part  of  it  either  date  or  inscrip¬ 
tion.  This  is,  according  to  my  experience,  a  univer¬ 
sal  rule  among  the  constructions  of  Central  and 
Eastern  Arabia  ;  neither  Cufic,  nor  Himyarite,  nor 
Arabic  writings  appear  on  lintel  or  column,  a  want 
which  much  disappointed  me,  nor  could  I  wTeil 
understand  whence  this  dearth  of  memorials,  espe¬ 
cially  when  contrasted  with  the  abundance  of 
inscriptions  in  Hauran  and  Safa,  Palmyra  and  Bab¬ 
ylon.  Colored  writings  daubed  on  walls  and  over 
gates  are  indeed  common,  but  such  inscriptions  can, 
it  is  evident,  be  only  of  a  few  years’  standing.  Nor 
does  the  dearth  of  stone-graving  come  from  want  of 
skill,  since  architectural  carving  is  frequent,  though 


212 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


rude,  iii  Nedjed,  while  throughout  Oman  this  and 
other  ornamental  arts  are  cultivated  with  no  despic¬ 
able  success. 

“  The  minaret  of  this  mosque  is  often  very  lofty — 
a  proof,  among  many  others,  that  its  date  reaches 
farther  back  than  the  first  Wahabee  domination,  for 
the  Nejdean  sect  does  not  approve  of  high  minarets, 
from  the  all-sufficient  reason  that  they  did  not 
exist  in  the  time  of  Mahomet  (true  conservatives  !), 
and  they  accordingly  content  themselves  with  a 
little  corner  turret,  barely  exceeding  in  height  the 
rest  of  the  roof.  A  crack  running  up  on  one  side  of 
the  tower  bears  witness  to  an  earthquake  said  to 
have  occurred  here  about  thirty  years  since,  pro¬ 
bably  the  same  of  which  we  subsequently  found 
traces  in  Hasa.  The  arch,  and  consequently  the 
vault,  are  here  unknown  ;  hence  the  pillars  that 
upbear  the  mosque  roof  are  close  to  each  other  and 
very  numerous.  They  are  of  stone. 

“  Another  side  of  the  square  is  formed  by  an 
open  gallery,  reminding  me  of  those  at  Bologna. 
In  its  shade  groups  of  citizens  are  seated  discussing 
news  or  business.  The  central  space  is  occupied  by 
camels  and  by  bales  of  various  goods,  among  which 
the  coffee  of  Yemen,  henna,  and  saffron,  bear  a 
large  part.  However,  at  the  period  of  oui  arrival, 
commerce  was  unusually  languid,  owing  to  the  war, 
whose  occupations  absorbed  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  population  itself,  while  they  also  rendered 
the  reads  unsafe  for  traders  and  travellers. 

“  From  this  square  several  diverging  streets  run 
out,  each  containing  a  market-place  for  this  or  that 


JOURNEY  TO  B  ERE  YD AH. 


213 


ware,  and  all  ending  in  portals  dividing  them  from 
the  ordinary  habitations.  The  vegetable  and  fruit 
market  is  very  extensive,  and  kept  almost  exclu¬ 
sively  by  women  ;  so  are  also  the  shops  for  grocery 
and  spices.  Nor  do  the  fair  sex  of  Bereydah  seem 
a  whit  inferior  to  their  rougher  partners  in  knowl¬ 
edge  of  business  and  thrifty  diligence.  ‘  Close- 
handedness  beseems  a  woman  no  less  than  gener¬ 
osity  a  man,’  says  an  Arab  poet,  unconsciously 
coinciding  with  Lance  of  Yerona  in  his  comments 
on  the  catalogue  of  his  future  spouse’s  c  conditions.’ 

“  The  whole  town  has  an  aspect  of  old  but  de¬ 
clining  prosperity.  There  are  few  new  houses,  but 
many  falling  into  ruin.  The  faces,  too,  of  most  we 
meet  are  serious,  and  their  voices  in  an  undertone. 
Silk  dresses  are  prohibited  by  the  dominant  faction, 
and  tobacco  can  only  be  smoked  within  doors,  and 
by  stealth.  Every  now  and  then  zealous  Wahabee 
missionaries  from  Bi’ad  pay  a  visit  of  reform  and 
preaching  to  unwilling  auditors,  and  disobedience 
to  the  customs  of  the  Nejdean  sect  is  noticed  and 
punished,  often  severely. 

“  If,  invited  by  its  owner,  we  enter  one  of  the 
houses,  we  find  the  interior  arrangement  somewhat 
differing  from  that  usual  in  Djebel  Shomer.  The 
towns  of  Kaseem  are  close  built,  and  space  within 
the  walls  becomes  in  proportion  more  valuable ; 
hence  the  courtyards  are  smaller  and  the  rooms 
narrow ;  a  second  story,  too,  is  common  here, 
whereas  at  Ha’yel  it  is  a  rare  exception.  The 
abundance  of  wood  in  this  province  renders  char¬ 
coal  superfluous,  and  the  small  furnaces  of  Djow: 


214 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


and  Shomer  have  disappeared,  to  make  room  for 
fireplaces  sunk  in  the  floor,  with  a  raised  stone  rim 
and  dog-irons,  exactly  like  those  in  use  at  home 
before  coals  and  coal-smoke  had  necessitated 
chimney-pieces  and  ah  the  modern  nicety  of 
hearths  and  stoves.  Ghada  and  markh  wood  is 
piled  on  the  irons,  and  the  coffee,  here  super- 
excellent,  for  the  very  best  of  Yemen  comes  to 
Kaseem,  is  prepared  on  the  blaze. 

“  Enough  of  the  town  ;  the  streets  are  narrow, 
hot,  and  dusty;  the  day,  too,  advances;  but  the 
gardens  are  yet  cool.  So  we  dash  at  a  venture 
through  a  labyrinth  of  byways  and  crossways  till 
we  find  ourselves  in  the  wide  street  that,  like  a 
boulevard  in  France,  runs  immediately  along  but 
inside  the  walls. 

“  Here  is  a  side  gate,  but  half  ruined,  with  great 
folding  doors  and  no  one  to  open  them.  The  wall 
of  one  of  the  flanking  towers. has,  however,  been 
broken  in,  and  from  hence  we  hope  to  find  an  out¬ 
let  on  the  gardens  outside.  We  clamber  in,  and, 
after  mounting  a  heap  of  rubbish,  once  the  foot  of 
a  winding  staircase,  have  before  us  a  window  look- 
ing  right  on  the  gardens ;  fortunately  we  are  not 
the  first  to  try  this  short  cut,  and  the  truant  boys 
of  the  town  have  sufficiently  enlarged  the  aperture 
and  piled  up  stones  on  the  ground  outside  to 
render  the  passage  tolerably  easy;  we  follow  the 
indication,  and  in  another  minute  stand  in  the  open 
air  without  the  walls.  The  breeze  is  fresh,  and  will 
continue  so  till  noon.  Before  us  are  high  palm 
trees  and  dark  shadows ;  the  ground  is  velvet 


JOURNEY  TO  BEREYDAH. 


215 


green  witli  the  autumn  crop  of  maize  and  vetches, 
and  intersected  bj  a  labyrinth  of  watercourses, 
some  dry,  others  flowing  ;  for  the  wrells  are  at  work. 

“  We  stroll  about  in  the  shade,  hide  ourselves 
amid  the  high  maize  to  smoke  a  quiet  pipe  unob¬ 
served  by  prying  Nedjean  e}Tes,  and  then  walk  on 
till  at  some  distance  we  come  under  a  high  ridge  of 
sand.  Curiosity  leads  us  to  climb  it,  though  steep 
and  sliding.  From  its  summit  we  look  southwest 
in  the  direction  of  ’Oneyzah  ;  the  whole  country 
between  is  jotted  over  with  islets  of  cultivation 
amid  the  sands,  and  far  off  long  lines  of  denser 
shade  indicate  whereabouts  ’Oneyzah  itself  is  situ¬ 
ated.  But  noon  draws  on,  and  the  heat  increases ; 
it  were  ill  to  remain  longer  in  the  blaze  of  mid-day. 
So  we  retrace  our  steps  to  the  walls,  and  follow  at  a 
venture  the  town  ditch  till  a  gate  appears,  by  which 
we  enter  and  find  our  way  home  again. 

“  "While  on  one  of  our  suburban  excursions  we 
took  the  direction  of  ’Oneyzah,  but  found  it  utterly 
impossible  to  arrive  within  its  walls ;  so  w~e  con¬ 
tented  ourselves  with  an  outside  and  distant  view 
of  this  large  and  populous  town ;  the  number  of  its 
houses,  and  their  size,  judging  by  the  overtopping 
summits  that  marked  out  the  dwelling  of  Zarnil  and 
his  family,  far  surpassed  anything  in  Bereydah. 
The  outer  fortifications  are  enormously  thick,  and 
the  girdle  of  palm-trees  between  them  and  the  town 
affords  a  considerable  additional  defence  to  the 
latter.  For  all  I  could  see,  there  is  little  stonework 
in  the  construction  ;  they  appear  almost  exclusively 
of  unbaked  bricks ;  yet  even  so  they  are  formidable 


216 


TRAVELS  IN  AKAB1A. 


defences  for  Arabia.  The  whole  country  around, 
and  whatever  lay  northeast  towards  Bereydan, 
v  as  moie  or  less  ravaged  by  the  war ;  and  we  were 
blamed  by  our  friends  as  very  rash  in  having 
\  entui  ed  thus  far ;  in  fact,  it  was  a  mere  chance 
that  we  did  not  fall  in  with  skirmishers  or  plun¬ 
derers  ;  and  in  such  a  case  the  military  discipline 
of  Kaseem  would  hardly  have  ensured  our  safety. 

When  all  was  ready  for  the  long-expected  de- 
paituie,  it  uas  definitely  fixed  for  the  3d  of  October, 
a  Fiiday,  I  think,  at  nightfall.  Since  our  first  inter¬ 
view  Baxakat  and  myself  had  not  again  presented 
ourselves  before  Mohanna,  except  in  chance  meet¬ 
ings,  accompanied  by  distant  salutations  in  the 
street  or  market-place ;  and  we  did  not  see  any 
need  for  paying  him  a  special  farewell  call. 
Indeed,  after  learning  who  and  what  he  was,  we 
did  oui  best  not  to  draw  his  grey  eye  on  us,  and 
thereby  escaped  some  additional  trouble  and  sur¬ 
plus  duties  to  pay,  nor  did  any  one  mention  us  to 
him.  At  star-rise  we  bade  our  host  and  house- 
holdei  Ahmed  a  final  adieu,  and  left  the  town  with 
Aboo-’Eysa  for  our  guide.” 


CHAPTER  Xm. 


PALGRAVE’s  TRAVELS — JOURNEY  TO  Rl’AD,  THE  CAP1* 

TAL  OF  NEDJED. 

WO  roads  lay  before  us.  The  shorter,  and 


JL  for  that  reason  the  more  frequented  of  the 
two,  led  southeast-by-east  through  Woshem  and 
Wady  Haneefah  to  Ri’ad.  But  this  track  passed 
through  a  district  often  visited  at  the  piesent 
moment  by  the  troops  of  ’Oneyzali  and  their  allies, 
and  hence  our  companions,  not  over-courageous  for 
the  most,  were  afraid  to  follow  it.  Another  road, 
much  more  circuitous,  but  farther  removed  from 
the  scene  of  military  operations,  led  northeast  to 
Zulphah,  and  thence  entered  the  province  of 
Sedeyr,  which  it  traversed  in  a  southeasterly  or 
southern  direction,  and  thus  reached  the  ’Aared. 
Our  council  of  war  resolved  on  the  latter  itinerary, 
nor  did  we  ourselves  regret  a  roundabout  which 
promised  to  procure  us  the  sight  of  much  that  we 
might  scarcely  have  otherwise  an  opportunity  of 
visiting.  Barakat  and  I  were  mounted  on  two  ex¬ 
cellent  dromedaries  of  Aboo-’Eysa’s  stud ;  the 
Nader  was  on  a  lovely  grey  she  camel  with  a  liand- 

The  Naib  ”  was  a  Persian  official,  dispatched  by  the  Persian 


218 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


some  saddle,  crimson  and  go’d.  The  Meccans 
shared  between  them  a  long-backed  black  beast ; 
the  rest  were  also  mounted  on  camels  or  drome¬ 
daries,  since  the  road  before  us  was  impracticable 
foi  horses,  at  any  rate  at  this  time  of  year. 

Oui  load  lay  >n  L.aseen ,  whose  highlands  we 
rejoined  once  more,  and  traversed  till  sunset.  The 
view  was  very  beautiful  from  its  extent  and  variety 
°f  ups  and  downs,  in  broad  grassy  hills;  little 
groups  oi  trees  stood  in  scattered  detachments 
around;  and  had  a  river,  that  desideratum  of 
Aiabia,  been  in  sight,  one  might  almost  have 
fancied  oneself  in  the  country  bordering  the  Lower 
Rhine  for  some  part  of  its  course  ;  readers  may 
suppose,  too,  that  there  was  less  verdure  liere  than 
in  the  European  parallel ;  my  comparison  bears 
only  on  the  general  turn  of  the  view.  No  river 
exists  nearer  Kaseein  than  Shaft,  (Euphrates,)  some 
hundred  leagues  off;  and  oui  eyes  had  been  too 
long  accustomed  to  the  deceptive  pools  of  the 
milage,  to  associate  with  them  even  a  passing  idea 
of  aught  save  drought  and  heat. 

“  We  journeyed  on  till  dark,  and  then  reached 
certain  hillocks  of  a  different  character  from  the 
hard  ground  lately  under  our  feet.  Here  began  the 
Nefood,  whose  course  from  the  southwest  to  north- 


p  lgrims  to  lay  before  Feysul,  the  ruler  of  Necljed,  a  statement  of 
the  extortions  to  which  they  had  been  compelled  to  submit  at 
Beroydali.  He  was  thus  equally  under  Aboo-’Eysa’s  charge,  and 
lus  company  was  rather  an  advantage  to  Palgrave,  since  his 
mission  was  another  cause  of  removing— or,  at  least,  lessening- 
the  piomi  ie;ice  of  the  latter,  after  his  arrival  at  Hi ’ad. 


JOURNEY  TO  nr  AD. 


219 


east,  and  then  north,  parts  between  Kaseem, 
Wosliem,  and  Sedeyr.  I  have  already  said  some¬ 
thing  of  these  sandy  inlets  when  describing  that 
which  wre  crossed  three  months  ago  between  Djowf 
and  Sliomer. 

“  On  the  verge  of  the  desert  strip  we  now  halted 
a  little,  to  eat  a  hasty  supper,  and  to  drink,  the 
Arabs  coffee  and  the  Persians  tea.  But  journeying 
in  these  sands,  under  the  heat  of  the  day,  is  alike 
killing  to  man  and  beast,  and  therefore  Aboo-’Eysa 
had  resolved  that  we  should  cross  the  greater  por¬ 
tion  under  favor  of  the  cooler  hours  of  night.  In 
pursuance  of  his  idea,  we  were  again  mounted  and 
on  our  way  before  the  slanting  pyramid  of  zodiacal 
light  had  faded  in  the  wTest. 

“All  night,  a  weary  night,  we  waded  up  and  down 
through  waves  of  sand,  in  which  the  camels  often 
sank  up  to  their  knees,  and  their  riders  were 
obliged  to  alight  and  help  them  on.  There  was  no 
symptom  of  a  track,  no  landmark  to  direct  our 
wray  ;  the  stars  alone  were  now  our  compass  and 
guide  ;  but  Aboo-’Eysa  had  passed  this  Nefood 
more  than  once,  and  knew  the  line  of  march  by 
heart.  When  the  first  pale  streak  of  dawn  ap¬ 
peared  on  our  right  shoulder,  we  were  near  the 
summit  of  a  sandy  mountain,  and  the  air  blew 
keener  than  I  had  yet  felt  it  in  Arabia.  We  halted, 
and  gathered  together  heaps  of  ghada  and  other 
desert  shrubs  to  light  blazing  fires,  by  which  some 
eat,  some  lay  and  slept,  myself  for  one,  till  the  rising 
sunbeams  tipped  the  yellow  crests  around,  and  w’e 
resumed  our  way. 


220 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


‘‘  ^ow  full  daylight  appeared  the  true  cliar- 
actei  of  the  region  which  we  were  traversing  ;  its 
aspect  resembled  the  Nefood  north  of  Djebel 
Sliomer,  but  tlie  undulations  were  here  higher  and 
deeper,  and  the  sand  itself  lighter  and  less  stable. 
In  most  spots  neither  shrub  nor  blade  of  grass 
could  fix  its  root,  in  others  a  scanty  vegetation 
struggled  through,  but  no  trace  of  man  anywhere. 
Tne  camels  ploughed  slowly  on  ;  the  Persians,  un¬ 
accustomed  to  such  scenes,  were  downcast  and 
silent ;  all  were  tired,  and  no  wonder.  At  last,  a 
little  beioie  noon,  and  just  -as  the  sun’s  heat  was 
becoming  intolerable,  we  reached  the  verge  of  an 
immense  crater-like  hollow,  certainly  three  or  four 
miles  in  circumference,  where  the  sand-billows  re¬ 
ceded  on  every  side,  and  left  in  the  midst  a  pit 
seven  or  eight  hundred  feet  in  depth,  at  whose 
base  we  could  discern  a  white  gleam  of  limestone 
rock,  and  a  small  group  of  houses,  trees,  and  gar¬ 
dens,  thus  capriciously  isolated  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  desert. 

“  This,  was  the  little  village  and  oasis  of  Wasit, 
01  the  intermediary,  so-called  because  a  central 
point  between  the  three  provinces  of  Kaseem, 
Sedeyr,  and  W oshem,  yet  belonging  to  none  of 
them.  Nor  is  it  often  visited  by  wayfarers,  as  we 
learnt  from  the  inhabitants,  men  simple  and  half 
savage,  from  their  little  intercourse  with  the  outer 
v  oild,  and  unacquainted  even  with  the  common 
foims  of  Islamitie  prayer,  though  dwelling  in  the 
midst  of  the  Wahabee  dominions. 

A  long  winding  descent  brought  us  to  the 


JOURNEY  TO  READ. 


221 


bottom  of  the  valley,  where  on  onr  arrival  men  and 
boys  came  out  to  stare  at  the  Persians,  and  by 
exacting  double  prices  for  fruit  and  camel’s  milk, 
proved  themselves  not  altogether  such  fools  as  they 
looked.  Por  us,  regarded  as  Arabs,  we  enjoyed 
their  hospitality — it  was  necessarily  a  limited  one — 
gratis ;  whereupon  the  Na’ib  grew  jealous,  and 
declaimed  against  the  Arabs  as  ‘  infidels,’  for  not 
treating  with  suitable  generosity  pilgrims  like  them¬ 
selves  returning  from  the  ‘  house  of  God.’ 

“  To  get  out  of  this  pit  was  no  easy  matter  ;  facilis 
descensus ,  etc.,  thought  I  ;  no  ascending  path 
showed  itself  in  the  required  direction,  and  every 
one  tried  to  push  up  his  floundering  beast  where  the 
sand  appeared  at  a  manageable  slope,  and  firm  to 
the  footing.  Camels  and  men  fell  and  rolled  back 
down  the  declivity,  till  some  of  the  party  shed  tears 
of  vexation,  and  others,  more  successful,  laughed 
at  the  annoyance  of  their  companions.  Aboo- 
’Eysa  ran  about  from  one  to  the  other,  attempting 
to  direct  and  keep  them  together,  till  finally,  as 
Heaven  willed,  we  reached  the  upper  rim  to  the 
north. 

“  Before  us  lay  what  seemed  a  storm-driven  sea 
of  fire  in  the  red  light  of  afternoon,  and  through  it 
we  wound  our  way,  till  about  an  hour  before 
sunset  we  fell  in  with  a  sort  of  track  or  furrow. 
Next  opened  out  on  our  road  a  long  descent,  at 
whose  extreme  base  we  discerned  the  important 
and  commercial  town  of  Zulpliah?  Beyond  it  rose 
the  wall-like  steeps  of  Djebel  Toweyk,  so  often 
heard  of,  and  now  seen  close  at  hand.  Needless  to 


222 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


say  how  joyfully  we  welcomed  the  first  view  of  that 
strange  ridge,  the  heart  and  central  knot  of  Arabia, 
beyond  which  whatever  lay  might  almost  be  reck¬ 
oned  as  a  return  journey. 

“  We  had  now,  in  fact,  crossed  the  Nefood,  and 
had  at  our  feet  the  great  valley  which  constitutes 
the  main  line  of  communication  between  Nedjed  and 
the  north,  reaching  even  to  the  Tigris  and  Bagdad. 
The  sun  was  setting  when  we  reached  the  lowest 
ebb  of  the  sand  ocean,  and  left  its  enormous  waves 
piled  up  ridge  above  ridge  behind  us  ;  Barakat  and 
myself,  thanks  to  the  excellent  fibre  of  our  drome¬ 
daries,  were  far  in  front  of  our  associates,  and  we 
willingly  allowed  the  beasts  to  turn  aside  from  the 
track  and  feed  on  the  copious  pasturage  of  The- 
mam,  a  ragged  sweet-smelling  grass  common 
throughout  Nedjed,  and  often  mentioned  by  the 
poets,  while  we  gazed  now  on  the  red  range  in  our 
rear,  now  on  the  long  valley  stretching  upon  right 
and  left,  to  north  and  south,  with  the  broken  out¬ 
lines  of  the  walls  of  Zulpliali  a  mile  or  more  in 
fiont,  and  now  on  the  precipitous  though  low  for¬ 
tress-ledge  of  Toweyk  which  bordered  the  horizon. 

We  passed  the  whole  length  of  the  town  of  Zul- 
phah,  several  streets  of  which  had  been  lately  swept 
away  by  the  winter  torrents  that  pour  at  times  their 
short-lived  fury  down  this  valley.  Before  us  to  the 
southeast  stretched  the  long  hollow  ;  on  our  rhdit 
was  the  Neiood,  on  our  left  Djebel  Toweyk  and  the 
province  of  Sedeyr.  The  mountain  air  blew  cool, 
and  this  day’s  journey  was  a  far  pleasanter  one  than 
its  predecessor.  We  continued  our  march  down  the 


JOURNEY  TV  Rl'AD. 


223 


valley  till  the  afternoon,  when  we  turned  aside  into 
a  narrow  gorge  running  up  at  a  sharp  angle  to  the 
northeast,  and  thus  entered  between  the  heights  of 
Djebel  Toweyk  itself. 

“  This  mountain  essentially  constitutes  Nedjed.  H 
is  a  wide  and  flat  chain,  or  rather  plateau,  whose 
general  form  is  that  of  a  huge  crescent.  If  I  may 
be  permitted  here  to  give  my  rough  guess  regard¬ 
ing  the  elevation  of  the  main  plateau,  a  guess 
grounded  partly  on  the  vegetation,  climate,  and 
similar  local  features,  partly  on  an  approximate  esti¬ 
mate  of  the  ascent  itself,  and  of  the  subsequent 
descent  on  the  other  or  sea  side,  I  should  say  that 
it  varies  from  a  height  of  one  to  two  thousand  feet 

o 

above  the  surrounding  level  of  the  peninsula,  and  J 
may  thus  be  about  three  thousand  feet  at  most 
above  the  sea.  Its  loftiest  ledges  occur  in  the 
Sedeyr  district,  where  we  shall  pass  them  before 
long ;  the  centre  and  the  southwesterly  arm  is  cer¬ 
tainly  lower.  Djebel  Toweyk  is  the  middle  knot  of 
Arabia,  its  Caucasus,  so  to  say;  and  is  still,  as  it 
has  often  been  in  former  times,  the  turning  point  of 
the  whole,  or  almost  the  whole,  peninsula  in  a  polit¬ 
ical  and  national  bearing.  To  it  alone  is  the  term 
‘  Nedjed,’  strictly  and  topographically  applied ; 
although  the  same  denomination  is  sometimes,  nay, 
often,  given  by  the  Arabs  themselves  to  all  the 
inland  provinces  now  under  Wahabee  rule. 

“  The  climate  of  the  northern  part  of  Djebel 
Toweyk,  whether  plateau  or  valley,  coincident  with 
the  province  of  Sedeyr,  is  perhaps  one  of  the  health¬ 
iest  in  the  world ;  an  exception  might  be  made  in 


224 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA . 


favor  of  Djebel  Shomer  alone.  The  above-named 
districts  resemble  each  other  closely  in  dryness  of 
atmosphere,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Sedeyr,  like 
those  of  Shomer,  are  remarkable  for  their  ruddy 
complexion  and  well  developed  stature.  But  when 
we  approach  the  centre  of  the  mountain  crescent, 
where  its  whole  level  lowers,  while  the  more  south¬ 
erly  latitude  brings  it  nearer  to  the  prevailing  influ¬ 
ences  of  the  tropical  zone,  the  air  becomes  damper 
and  more  relaxing,  and  a  less  salubrious  climate 
pictures  itself  in  the  saliower  faces  and  slender 
make  of  its  denizens. 

Two  days  later  we  attained  the  great  plateau  of 
which  I  have  a  few  pages  since  given  an  anticipated 
description.  Here  for  the  first  time  since  our  pas¬ 
sage  of  the  Ghour,  in  the  well-known  desert  between 
Gaza  and  Ma’an,  we  met  with  a  clouded  sky  and  a 
disturbed  atmosphere.  But  my  readers  will  recall 
to  mind  that  it  was  now  the  7th  of  October,  and  not 
be  surprised  at  an  autumn  storm.  The  sky,  hither¬ 
to  perfectly  clear,  was  suddenly,  indeed  almost 
instantaneously,  overcast,  and  a  furious  gust  of 
wind  rushed  down,  while  clouds  of  dust  darkened 
the  air,  till  we  could  hardly  see  our  way.  Next  fol¬ 
lowed  a  few  drops  of  rain,  but  the  wind  was  too 
high  to  allow  of  a  good  shower,  and  in  about  half 
an  hour  the  whole  had  blown  over  ;  however,  the 
breeze  which  succeeded  was  delightfully  cool,  and 
worthy  of  the  Apennines. 

“  About  noon  we  halted  in  a  brushwood-covered 
plain  to  light  fire  and  prepare  coffee.  After  which  we 
pursued  our  easterly  way,  still  a  little  to  the  north  ; 


JOURNEY  TO  RI'AD. 


225 


now  and  then  meeting  with  travellers  or  peasants  ; 
but  a  European  would  find  these  roads  very  lonely 
in  comparison  with  those  of  his  own  country.  All 
the  more  did  I  admire  the  perfect  submission  and 
strict  police  enforced  by  the  central  government,  so 
that  even  a  casual  robbery  is  very  rare  in  the  prov¬ 
inces,  and  highwaymen  are  totally  out  of  the  ques¬ 
tion.  At  last,  near  the  same  hour  of  afternoon  that 
had  brought  us  the  day  before  to  Ghat,  we  came  in 
sight  of  Mejmaa’,  formerly  capital  of  the  province, 
and  still  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  with  a 
a  population,  to  judge  by  appearances  and  hearsay, 
of  between  ten  and  twelve  thousand  souls. 

“We  were  up  early  next  morning,  for  the  night 
air  was  brisk,  and  a  few  hours  of  sleep  had  sufficed 
us.  The  whole  level  of  the  depression  where 
Mejmaa  stands  almost  equals  that  of  the  surface  of 
the  first  plateau,  and  to  this  now  succeeded  a 
second  of  yet  greater  height,  forming  part  of  the 
midrib  of  Toweyk.  We  took  the  high  ground  as 
the  shorter  route,  instead  of  keeping  to  the  lower 
steppe,  and  went  on  with  a  wide  landscape  on  either 
side,  but  not  in  front,  where  at  some  distance  to  the 
east  a  third  and  loftier  ledge  arose  to  shut  out  the 
distant  view. 

“  After  sunrise  we  came  on  a  phenomenon  of  a 
nature,  I  believe,  without  a  second  or  a  parallel  in 
Central  Arabia,  yet  withal  most  welcome,  namely,  a 
tolerably  large  source  of  running  water,  forming  a 
wide  and  deepish  stream,  with  grassy  banks,  and 
frogs  croaking  in  the  herbage.  We  opened  our  eyes 
iti  amazement ;  it  was  the  first  of  the  kind  that 


226 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


we  had  beheld  since  leaving  the  valley  of  Djowf. 
But  though  a  living,  it  is  a  short-lived  rivulet, 
reaching  only  four  or  five  hours’  distance  to  Djela- 
jil,  where  it  is  lost  amid  the  plantations  of  the  sub¬ 
urbs. 

“  We  had  not  long  traversed  the  Meteyr  encamp¬ 
ment,  when  we  came  in  view  of  the  walls  of  Toweym, 
a  large  town,  containing  between  twelve  and  fifteen 
thousand  inhabitants,  according  to  the  computation 
here  in  use,  and  which  I  follow  for  want  of  better. 
The  houses  are  here  built  compactly,  of  two  stories 
in  general,  sometimes  three ;  the  lower  rooms  are 
often  fifteen  or  sixteen  feet  high,  and  the  upper  ten 
or  twelve ;  while  the  roof  itself  is  frequently  sur¬ 
rounded  by  a  blind  wall  of  six  feet  or  more,  till  the 
whole  attains  a  fair  altitude,  and  is  not  altogether 
unimposing. 

“  Early  next  day,  at  a  short  distance  from 
Toweym,  we  passed  another  large  village  with  bat- 
tlemented  walls,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
road  a  square  castle,  looking  very  mediaeval ;  this 
was  Hair.  A  couple  of  hours  further  on  we 
reached  Thomeyr,  a  straggling  townlet,  more 
abounding  in  broken  walls  than  houses  ;  close  by 
was  a  tall  white  rock  crowned  by  the  picturesque 
remains  of  an  old  outwork  or  fort,  overlooking  the 
place.  Here  our  party  halted  for  breakfast  in  the 
shadow  of  the  ruins.  Barakat  and  myself  deter¬ 
mined  to  try  our  fortune  in  the  village  itself ;  no 
guards  appeared  at  its  open  gate  ;  we  entered  un¬ 
challenged,  and  roamed  through  silent  lanes  and 
heaps  of  rubbish,  vainly  seeking  news  of  milk  and 


DEATH  ON  THE  DESERT. 


1 


.  .  _  — 


..  - -  V 


' 

; 


JOURNEY  TO  RI'AD. 


227 


dates  in  this  city  of  the  dea  L  At  last  we  met  a 
meagre  townsman,  in  look  and  apparel  the  apothe¬ 
cary  of  Romeo  ;  and  of  him,  not  without  misgivings 
of  heart,  we  inquired  where  aught  eatable  could  be 
had  for  love  or  money.  He  apologized,  though 
there  was  scarce  need  of  that,  for  not  having  any 
such  article  at  his  disposal ;  ;  but,’  added  he,  ‘  in  such 
and  such  a  house  there  will  certainly  be  something 
good,’  and  thitherwards  he  preceded  us  in  our 
search.  We  found  indeed  a  large  dwelling,  but  the 
door  was  shut ;  we  knocked  to  no  purpose  :  nobody 
at  home. 

Our  man  now  set  us  a  bolder  example,  and  we 
altogether  scrambled  through  a  breach  in  the  mud 
wall,  and  found  ourselves  amid  empty  rooms  and  a 
desolate  courtyard.  ‘  Everybody  is  out  in  the  fields, 
women  only  excepted,’  said  our  guide,  and  we  sepa¬ 
rated  no  better  off  than  before.  Despairing  of  the 
village  commissariat,  we  climbed  a  turret  on  the 
outer  walls,  and  looked  round.  Now  we  saw  at 
some  distance  a  beautiful  palm- grove,  where  we  con¬ 
cluded  that  dates  could  not  be  wanting,  and  off  wo 
set  for  it  across  the  stubble  fields.  But  on  arriving 
we  found  our  paradise  surrounded  by  high  walls, 
and  no  gate  discoverable.  While  thus  we  stood 
without,  like  Milton’s  fiend  at  Eden,  but  unable,  like 
him,  ‘  by  one  high  bound  te  overleap  all  bound,’  up 
came  a  handsome  Solibah  lad,  all  in  rags,  half 
walking,  half  dancing,  in  the  devil-may-care  way  of 
his  tribe.  ‘  Can  you  tell  us  which  is  the  way  in  ?’ 
was  our  first  question,  pointing  to  the  garden  before 
us  ;  and,  ‘  Shall  I  sing  you  a  song  ?’  was  his  first 


228 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


answer.  ‘  We  don’t  want  your  songs,  but  dates 
how  are  we  to  get  at  them  ?’  we  replied.  ‘  Or  shall 
I  pei form  you  a  dance  ?  answered  the  grinning 
young  scoundrel,  and  forthwith  began  an  Arabian 
polka-step,  laughing  all  the  while  at  our  undis¬ 
guised  impatience.  At  last  he  condescended  to 
show  us  the  way,  but  no  other  than  what  befitted  an 
orchard-robbing  boy,  like  himself,  for  it  lay  a  little 
farther  off,  right  over  the  wall,  which  he  scaled  with 
practiced  ingenuity,  and  helped  us  to  follow.  So 
we  did,  though  perhaps  with  lionester  intentions, 
and  once  within,  stood  amid  trees,  shade  and  water. 
The  ‘  tender  juvenile’  then  set  up  a  shout,  and  soon 
a  man  appeared,  ‘  old  Adam’s  likeness  set  to  dress 
this  gaiden,  save  that  he  was  not  old  but  young,  as 
Adam  might  himself  have  been  while  yet  in  Eden. 
We  were  somewhat  afraid  of  a  surly  reception,  too 
well  merited  by  our  very  equivocal  introduction  ; 
but  the  gardener  was  better  tempered  than  many  of 
his  caste,  and  after  saluting  us  very  politelv,  offered 
his  services  at  our  disposal.  On  learning  that  we 
weie  from  Damascus,  he  grew  positively  friendly, 
led  us  through  an  umbrageous  alley  to  a  little  lodge' 
or  watch-hut  in  the  enclosure,  and  there  presented 
us  to  a  cousin  of  his,  who  also  said  he  had  been  to 
‘  Sham,’  or  Damascus.  But  ‘  Sham’  has  in  Nedjed 
as  loose  an  application  as  Nedjed  has  in  Sham,  and 
we  found  ere  long  that  our  new  acquaintance  had 
never  really  overpassed  the  limits  of  Arabia  ;  he  had 
gone  some  way  on  the  northern  pilgrim  road 
towards  Tabook  and  its  neighborhood;  however, 
this  was  enough  to  make  him  a  lion  in  his  village', 


JOURNEY  TO  READ. 


229 


and  he  was  a  great  authority  about  Damascus, 
though  he  had  stopped  short  at  a  full  fortnight’s  dis¬ 
tance  from  its  gates.  We  made  friends,  and  a  very 
tolerable  extemporary  breakfast  of  curds  and  dates, 
with  clear  cold  water,  such  as  our  hearts  desired, 
was  set  before  us.  The  young  Solibah  had  gone 
fruit-hunting  on  his  own  account.  We  then  pro¬ 
posed  to  purchase  a  stock  of  dates  for  our  onward 
way,  whereon  the  gardener  conducted  us  to  an  out- 
hbuse  where  heaps  of  three  or  four  kinds  of  this 
fruit,  red  and  yellow,  round  or  long,  lay  piled  up, 
and  bade  us  choose.  At  his  recommendation  we 
filled  a  large  cloth  which  we  had  brought  with  us 
for  the  purpose  with  excellent  ruddy  dates,  and  gave 
in  return  a  small  piece  of  money,  welcome  here  as 
elsewhere.  We  then  took  leave  and  returned,  but 
this  time  through  the  garden  gate,  to  the  stubble- 
fields,  and  passing  under  the  broken  walls  of  the 
village,  reached  our  companions,  who  had  become 
anxious  at  our  absence. 

For  three  days  longer  the  travellers  journeyed 
southward,  through  the  valleys  branching  out  from 
Djebel  Toweyk,  encamping  for  the  night  near  some 
of  the  small  towns  which  still  exist  in  that  once 
populous,  but  now  devastated  region.  “  In  the 
early  gray  of  the  fourth  morning,”  says  Palgrave, 
“  we  passed  close  under  the  plantations  of  Bowdah 
down  the  valley,  now  dry  and  still,  once  overflowed 
with  the  best  blood  of  Arabia,  and  through  the 
narrow  and  high-walled  pass  which  gives  entrance 
to  the  great  strongholds  of  the  land.  The  sun  rose  and 
lighted  up  to  our  view  wild  precipices  on  either  side, 


230 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


with  a  tangled  mass  of  broken  rook  and  brushwood 
below,  while  coveys  of  partridges  started  up  at  our 
feet,  and  deer  scampered  away  by  the  gorges  to 
right  or  left,  or  a  cloud  of  dust  announced  the  ap¬ 
proach  of  peasant  bands  or  horsemen  going  to  and 
fro,  and  gardens  or  hamlets  gleamed  through  side- 
opemngs  or  stood  niched  in  the  bulging  passes  of 
the  VV  ady  itself,  till  before  noon  we  arrived  at  the 
little  hamlet  of  Malka,  or  ‘  the  junction.’ 

“  Its  name  is  derived  from  its  position.  Here  the 
valley  divides  in  form  of  a  Y,  sending  off  two 
branches— one  southerly  to  Derey’eeyah,  the  other 
southeast  by  east  through  the  centre  of  the  province, 
and  communicating  with  the  actual  capital,  Ri’ad! 
At  the  point  of  bipartition  stands  what  would  in 

India  be  called  a  bungalo,  and  in  Syria  a  khan _ 

namely,  a  sort  of  open  house,  for  the  accommodation 
and  rest  of  travellers  ;  close  by  is  a  large  well,  and 
a  garden,  the  property  of  the  heir-apparent,  Abdal¬ 
lah.  I  he  broad  foliage  of  fig-trees  and  citrons  over¬ 
hangs  the  road,  and  invites  to  repose.  We  rested 

the  hours  of  noon,  partly  in  the  guest-house  and 
partly  m  the  garden. 

Aboo-  Eysa  had  meditated  bringing  us  on  that 
very  evening  to  Bi’ad.  But  eight  good  leagues 
remained  from  Malka  to  the  capital;  and  when  the 
a  lb  had  terminated  his  cosmetic  operations,  the 
easterly-turning  shadows  left  us  no  hope  of  attaining 
1  atl  betore  nightfall.  However,  we  resumed  our 
march,  and  took  the  arm  of  the  valley  leading  to 
Derey  eeyah  ;  but  before  reaching  it  we  once  more 
quitted  the  Wady,  and  followed  a  shorter  path  by 


JOURNEY  TO  READ. 


231 


the  highlands  to  the  left.  Our  way  was  next 
crossed  by  a  long  range  of  towers,  built  by  Ibraheem 
Basha,  as  outposts  for  the  defence  of  this  important 
position.  Within  their  line  stood  the  lonely  walls  of 
a  large,  square  barrack ;  the  towers  were  what 
we  sometimes  call  Martello — short,  large,  and 
round. 

“  The  level  rays  of  the  setting  sun  now  streamed 
across  the  plain,  and  we  came  on  the  ruins  of 
Derey’eeyah,  filling  up  the  whole  breadth  of  the 
valley  beneath.  The  palace  walls,  of  unbaked 
brick,  like  the  rest,  rose  close  under  the  left  or 
northern  edge,  but  unroofed  and  tenantless  ;  a  little 
lower  down  a  wide  extent  of  fragments  showed 
■where  the  immense  mosque  had  been,  and  hard  by, 
the  market-place  ;  a  tower  on  an  isolated  height 
was,  I  suppose,  the  original  dwelling-place  of  the 
Sa’ood  family,  while  yet  mere  local  chieftains,  before 
growing  greatness  transferred  them  to  their  imperial 
palace.  The  outer  fortifications  remained  almost 
uninjured  for  much  of  their  extent,  with  turrets  and 
bastions  reddening  in  the  western  light ;  in  other 
places  the  Egyptian  artillery  or  the  process  of  years 
had  levelled  them  with  the  earth ;  within  the  town 
many  houses  were  yet  standing,  but  uninhabited  ; 
and  the  lines  of  the  streets  from  gate  to  gate  were 
distinct  as  in  a  ground  plan.  From  the  great  size 
of  the  town  (for  it  is  full  half  a  mile  in  length,  and 
not  much  less  in  breadth),  and  from  the  close  pack¬ 
ing  of  the  houses,  I  should  estimate  its  capacity  at 
above  forty  thousand  indwellers.  The  gardens  lie 
without,  and  still  ‘living  waved  where  man  had 


232 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


ceased  to  live,’  in  full  beauty  and  luxuriance,  a  deep 
green  ring  around  the  grey  ruins.  For  although  the 
Nedjeans,  holding  it  for  an  ill  omen  to  rebuild  and 
re-inhabit  a  town  so  fatally  overthrown,  have  trans¬ 
planted  the  seat  of  government,  and  with  it  the 
bulk  of  city  population,  to  Ri’ad,  they  have  not 
deemed  it  equally  necessary  to  abandon  the  rich 
plantations  and  well  watered  fields  belonging  to  the 
old  capital ;  and  thus  a  small  colony  of  gardeners 
in  scattered  huts  and  village  dwellings  close  under 
the  walls,  protract  the  blighted  existence  of  Derey¬ 
’eeyah. 

“  While  from  our  commanding  elevation  we  gazed 
thoughtfully  on  this  scene,  so  full  of  remembrances, 
the  sun  set,  and  darkness  grew  on.  We  naturallv 
proposed  a  halt,  but  Aboo-’Eysa  turned  a  deaf  ear, 
and  affirmed  that  a  garden  belonging  to  ’Abd-er- 
Rahman,  already  mentioned  as  grandson  of  the  first 
Wahabee,  was  but  a  little  farther  before  us,  and 
better  adapted  to  our  night’s  rest  than  the  ruins. 
In  truth,  three  hours  of  brisk  travelling  yet  inter¬ 
vened  between  Derey’eeyah  and  the  place  in  ques¬ 
tion ;  but  our  guide  was  unwilling  to  enter  Derey¬ 
’eeyah  in  company  of  Persians  and  Syrians,  Shi- 
ya’ees  and  Christians  ;  and  this  he  afterwards  con¬ 
fessed  to  me.  For  whether  from  one  of  those 
curious  local  influences  which  outlast  even  the 
change  of  races,  and  give  one  abiding  color  to  the 
successive  tenants  of  the  same  spot,  or  whether  it 
be  occasioned  by  the  constant  view  of  their  fallen 
greatness  and  the  triumph  of  their  enemies,  the 
scanty  population  of  Derey’eeyah  comprises  some 


JOURNEY  TO  READ. 


233 


of  the  bitterest  and  most  bigoted  fanatics  that  even 
’Aared  can  offer.  Accordingly  we  moved  on,  still 
keeping  to  the  heights,  and  late  at  night  descended 
a  little  hollow,  where,  amid  an  extensive  garden, 
stood  the  country  villa  of  ’Abd-er-Rahman. 

“We  did  not  attempt  to  enter  the  house;  indeed, 
at  such  an  hour  no  one  was  stirring  to  receive  us. 
But  a  shed  in  the  garden  close  by  sufficed  for  tra¬ 
vellers  who  were  all  too  weary  to  desire  aught  but 
sleep  ;  and  this  we  soon  found  in  spite  of  dogs  and 
jackals,  numerous  here  and  throughout  Nedjed. 

“From  this  locality  to  the  capital  was  about  four 
miles’  distance.  Our  party  divided  next  morning  * 
the  Na’ib  and  his  associates  remaining  behind; 
while  Barakat  and  myself,  with  Aboo-’Eysa,  set  oft 
straight  for  the  town,  where  our  guide  was  to  give 
notice  at  the  palace  of  the  approach  of  the  Persian 
dignitary,  that  the  honors  due  to  his  reception  might 
meet  him  half  way.  At  our  request  the  Meccans 
staid  also  in  the  rear ;  we  did  not  desire  the 
equivocal  effect  of  their  company  on  a  first  appear¬ 
ance. 

“  For  about  an  hour  we  proceeded  southward, 
through  barren  and  undulating  ground,  unable  to 
see  over  the  country  to  any  distance.  At  last  we 
attained  a  rising  eminence,  and  crossing  it,  came  at 
once  in  full  view  of  Ri’ad,  the  main  (fbject  of  our 
long  journey — the  capital  of  Nedjed  and  half  Ara¬ 
bia,  its  very  heart  of  hearts. 

“  Before  us  stretched  a  wild  open  valley,  and  in 
its  foreground,  immediately  below  the  pebbly  slope 
on  whose  summit  we  stood,  lay  the  capital,  largo 


234 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


and  square,  crowned  by  high  towers  and  strong 
walls  of  defence,  a  mass  of  roofs  and  terraces,  where 
overtopping  all  frowned  the  huge  but  irregular  pile 
of  Feysul’s  royal  castle,  and  hard  by  it  rose  the 
scarce  less  conspicuous  palace,  built  and  inhabited 
by  his  eldest  son,  ’Abdallah.  Other  edifices,  too,  of 
remarkable  appearance  broke  here  and  there  through 
the  maze  of  grey  roof-tops,  but  their  object  and  in¬ 
dwellers  were  yet  to  learn.  All  around  for  full 
three  miles  over  the  surrounding  plain,  but  more 
especially  to  the  west  and  south,  waved  a  sea  of 
palm-trees  above  green  fields  and  well-watered  gar¬ 
dens  ;  while  the  singing,  droning  sound  of  the  water¬ 
wheels  reached  us  even  where  we  had  halted,  at  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  from  the  nearest  town- 
walls.  On  the  opposite  side  southwards,  the  valley 
opened  out  in-to  the  great  and  even  more  fertile 
plains  of  Yemamali,  thickly  dotted  with  groves  and 
villages,  among  which  the  large  town  of  Manfoo'hah, 
hardly  inferior  in  size  to  Ri’ad  itself,  might  be  clearly 
distinguished.  Farther  in  the  background  ranged 
the  blue  hills,  the  ragged  Sierra  of  Yemamali,  com¬ 
pared  some  thirteen  hundred  years  since,  by  ’Amroo- 
ebn-Kelthoom  the  Shomerite,  to  drawn  swords  in 
battle  array ;  and  behind  them  was  concealed  the 
immeasurable  Desert  of  the  South,  or  Dahna.  On 
the  west  the  valley  closes  in  and  narrows  in  its  up¬ 
ward  windings  towards  Derey’eeyah,  while  to  the 
southwest  the  low  mounds  of  Afiaj  are  the  division 
between  it  and  Wady  Dowasir.  Due  east  in  the 
distance  a  long  blue  line  marks  the  farthest  heights 

o  o 

of  Toweyk,  and  shuts  out  from  view  the  low  ground 


JOURNEY  TO  READ. 


235 


of  Hasa  and  the  shores  of  the  Persian  Gulf.  In  all 
the  countries  which  I  have  visited,  and  they  are 
many,  seldom  has  it  been  mine  to  survey  a  land¬ 
scape  equal  to  this  in  beauty  and  in  historical  mean¬ 
ing,  rich  and  full  alike  to  eye  and  mind.  But  should 
any  of  my  readers  have  ever  approached  Damascus 
from  the  side  of  the  Anti-Lebanon,  and  surveyed 
the  Ghootah  from  the  heights  above  Mazzeh,  they 
may  thence  form  an  approximate  idea  of  the  valley 
of  Ki’ad  when  viewed  from  the  north.  Only  this  is 
wider  and  more  varied,  and  the  circle  of  vision  here 
embraces  vaster  plains  and  bolder  mountains  ;  while 
the  mixture  of  tropical  aridity  and  luxuriant  verdure, 
of  crowded  population  and  desert  tracks,  is  one  that 
Arabia  alone  can  present,  and  in  comparison  with 
which  Syria  seems  tame,  and  Italy  monotonous.” 


CHAPTER  XIY. 


PALGRAVE’s  TRAVELS. — ADVENTURES  IN  Rl’AD. 

BARAKAT  and  myself  stopped  our  dromedaries 
a  few  minutes  on  the  height  to  study  and  en¬ 
joy  this  noble  prospect,  and  to  forget  the  anxiety 
inseparable  from  a  first  approach  to  the  lion’s  own 
den.  Aboo-  Eysa,  too,  though  not  unacquainted 
with  the  scene,  willingly  paused  with  us  to  point  out 
and  name  the  main  features  of  the  view,  and  show 
us  where  lay  the  onward  road  to  his  home  in  Hasa. 
We  then  descended  the  slope,  and  skirted  the  walls 
cf  the  first  outlying  plantations  which  gird  the 
town. 

With  a  little  knot  of  companions  walking  by  our 
side,  and  laughing  and  talking  their  fill,  we  entered 
on  a  byway  leading  between  the  royal  stables  on 
one  hand,  and  a  spacious  garden  belonging  to  ’Abd- 
el-Lateef,  Kadee  of  the  town,  on  the  other.  After  a 
while  we  came  out  on  the  great  cemetery,  which 
spreads  along  the  northeastern  wall,  and  contains 
the  population  of  many  past  years — low  tombs, 
without  stone  or  memorial,  inscription  or  date. 

“  This  burial  ground  is  intersected  by  several 


AD  VENTURES  IN  HI' AD. 


237 


tracks,  leading  to  the  different  town  gates ;  we  our¬ 
selves  now  followed  a  path  ending  at  the  north¬ 
eastern  portal,  a  wide  and  high  entrance,  with  thick 
square  towers  on  either  side ;  several  guardsmen, 
armed  with  swords,  were  seated  in  the  passage. 
A.boo-’Eysa  answered  their  challenge,  and  led  us 
within  the  town.  Here  we  found  ourselves  at  first 
in  a  broad  street,  going  straight  to  the  palace ;  on 
each  side  were  large  houses,  generally  two  stories 
high,  wells  for  ablution,  mosques  of  various  dimen¬ 
sions,  and  a  few  fruit-trees  planted  here  and  there 
in  the  courtyards.  After  advancing  two  hundred 
yards  or  rather  more,  we  had  on  our  right  hand  the 
palace  of  Abdallah,  a  recent  and  almost  symmetri¬ 
cal  construction,  square  in  form,  with  goodly  carved 
gates,  and  three  stories  of  windows,  one  above  the 
other.  We  contemplated  and  were  contemplated 
by  groups  of  negroes  and  servants,  seated  near  the 
doors,  or  on  the  benches  outside,  in  the  cool  of  the 
morning  shade. 

“  At  last  we  reached  a  great  open  square  :  its 
right  side,  the  northern,  consists  of  shops  and  ware¬ 
houses  ;  while  the  left  is  entirely  absorbed  by  the 
huge  abode  of  Nedjean  royalty ;  in  front  of  us,  and 
consequently  to  the  west,  a  long  covered  passage, 
upborne  high  on  a  clumsy  colonnade,  crossed  the 
breadth  of  the  square,  and  reached  from  the  palace 
to  the  great  mosque,  which  it  thus  joins  directly 
with  the  interior  of  the  castle,  and  affords  old  Fey- 
sul  a  private  and  unseen  passage  at  will  from  his 
own  apartments  to  his  official  post  at  the  Friday 
prayers,  without  exposing  him  on  his  way  to  vulgar 


238 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


curiosity,  or  perhaps  to  the  dangers  of  treachery. 
Foi  the  fate  of  his  father  and  of  his  great-uncle,  his 
predecessors  on  the  throne,  and  each  of  them 
pierced  by  the  dagger  of  an  assassin  during  public 
worship,  has  rendered  Feysul  very  timid  on  this 
score,  though  not  at  prayer- time  only.  Behind  this 
colonnade,  other  shops  and  warehouses  make  up 
the  end  of  the  square,  or  more  properly  parallel¬ 
ogram  ;  its  total  length  is  about  two  hundred  paces, 
by  rather  more  than  half  the  same  width.  In  the 
midst  of  this  space,  and  under  the  far-reaching 
shadow  of  the  castle  walls,  are  seated  some  fifty  or 
sixty  women,  each  with  a  stock  of  bread,  dates,  milk, 
vegetables,  or  firewood  before  her  for  sale. 

“  But  we  did  not  now  stop  to  gaze,  nor  indeed 
did  we  pay  much  attention  to  all  this  \  our  first 
introduction  to  the  monarch  and  the  critical  posi¬ 
tion  before  us  took  up  all  oar  thoughts.  So 
we  paced  on  alongside  of  the  long  blind  wall 
running  out  Irom  the  central  keep,  and  looking 
more  like  the  outside  of  a  fortress  than  of  a  peace¬ 
ful  lesidence,  till  we  came  near  a  low  and  narrow 
gate,  the  only  entry  to  the  palace.  Deep'  sunk 
between  the  bastions,  with  massive  folding-doors 
iion  bound,  though  thrown  open  at  this  hour  of 
the  day,  and  giving  entrance  into  a  dark  passage, 
one  might  easily  have  taken  it  for  the  vestibule  of  a 
prison ;  while  the  number  of  guards,  some  black, 
some  white,  but  all  sword-girt,  who  almost  choked 
tue  way,  did  not  seem  very  inviting  to  those  with¬ 
out,  especially  to  foreigners.  Long  earth-seats 
liLK'd  the  adjoining  walls,  and  afforded  a  convenient 


ADVENTURES  IN  READ. 


231) 


Waiting-place  for  visitors  \  and  here  we  took  np  our 
rest  at  a  little  distance  from  the  palace  gate ;  but 
Aboo-  Fysa  entered  at  once  to  announce  our  arrival, 
and  the  approach  of  the  Na’ib. 

“  The  first  who  drew  near  and  saluted  us  was  a 
tall  meagre  figure,  of  a  sallow  complexion,  and  an 
intelligent  but  slightly  ill-natured  and  underhand 
cast  of  features.  He  was  very  well  dressed,  though 
of  course  without  a  vestige  of  unlawful  silk  in  his 
apparel,  and  a  certain  air  of  conscious  importance 
tempered  the  affability  of  his  politeness.  This  was 
’Abd-el-’Azeez,  whom,  for  want  of  a  better  title,  I 
shall  call  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  such  being 
the  approximate  translation  of  his  official  style.” 

“Accompanied  by  some  attendants  from  the 
palace,  he  came  stately  up,  and  seated  himself  by 
our  side.  He  next  began  the  customary  interroga¬ 
tions  of  whence  and  what,  with  much  smiling 
courtesy  and  show  of  welcome.  After  hearing  our 
replies,  the  same  of  course  as  those  given  elsewhere, 
he  invited  us  to  enter  the  precincts,  and  partake  of 
his  Majesty’s  coffee  and  hospitality,  while  he 
promised  us  more  immediate  communications  from 
the  king  himself  in  the  course  of  the  day. 

“  If  my  readers  have  seen,  as  most  of  them  un¬ 
doubtedly  will,  the  Paris  Tuileries,  they  may  here¬ 
by  know  that  the  whole  extent  of  Feysul’s  palace 
equals  about  two  thirds  of  that  construction,  and  is 
little  inferior  to  it  in  height ;  if  indeed  we  except 
the  angular  pyramidal  roofs  or  extinguishers  pecu¬ 
liar  to  the  French  edifice.  But  in  ornament  the 
Parisian  pile  has  the  better  of  it,  for  there  is  small 


240 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


pretensions  to  architectural  embellishment  in  this 
Waliabee  Louvre.  Without,  within,  every  other 
consideration  has  been  sacrificed  to  strength  and 
security ;  and  the  outer  view  of  Newgate,  at  any 
rate,  bears  a  very  strong  resemblance  to  the  general 
effect  of  Feysul’s  palace. 

“  Aboo-’Eysa  meanwhile,  in  company  with  the 
outriders  sent  from  the  palace,  had  gone  to  meet 
the  Na’ib  and  introduce  him  to  the  lodgings  pre¬ 
pared  for  his  reception.  Very  much  was  the  Per¬ 
sian  astounded  to  find  none  of  the  royal  family 
among  those  who  thus  came,  no  one  even  of  high 
name  or  office ;  but  yet  more  was  his  surprise 
when,  instead  of  immediate  admittance  to  Feysul’s 
presence  and  eager  embrace,  he  was  quietly  led 
aside  to  the  very  guest-room  whither  we  had  been 
conducted,  and  a  dinner  not  a  whit  more  sumptuous 
than  ours  was  set  before  him,  after  which  he  was 
very  coolly  told  that  he  might  pray  for  Feysul  and 
retire  to  his  quarters,  while  the  king  settled  the 
day  and  hour  whereon  he  would  vouchsafe  him  the 
honor  of  an  audience. 

“  Afterwards,  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs  con¬ 
descended  to  come  in  person,  and,  sweetly  smiling, 
informed  us  that  our  temporary  habitation  was 
ready,  and  that  Aboo-’Eysa  would  conduct  us 
thither  without  delay.  We  then  begged  to  know, 
if  possible,  the  king’s  good  will  and  pleasure 
regarding  our  stay  and  our  business  in  the  town. 
For  on  our  first  introduction  we  had  duly  stated, 
in  the  most  correct  Wahebee  phraseology,  that  we 
had  come  to  Pi’ ad  ‘  desiring  the  favor  of  God,  and 


AD  VENTURES  IN  Rl'AD. 


211 


secondly  of  Feysul;  and  that  we  begged  of  God, 
and  secondly  of  Feysul,  permission  to  exercise  in 
the  town  our  medical  profession,  under  the  pro¬ 
tection  Ox  God,  and  in  the  next  place  of  Feysul.’ 
For  Dogberry’s  advice  to  ‘  set  God  first,  for  God 
defend  but  God  should  go  before  such  villains,’  is 
here  observed  to  the  letter ;  whatever  is  desired, 
purported,  or  asked,  the  Deity  must  take  the  lead. 
Noi  this  only,  but  even  the  subsequent  mention  of 
the  creature  must  nowise  be  coupled  with  that  of 
the  Creator  by  the  ordinary  conjunction  ‘  w’,’  that 
is,  and,  since  that  would  imply  equality  between 
the  two — flat  blasphemy  in  word  or  thought.  Hence 
the  disjunctive  ‘  thumina,’  or  ‘  next  after,’  ‘  at  a  dis¬ 
tance,’  must  take  the  place  of  £  w’,’  under  penalty  of 
prosecution  under  the  statute.  4  Unlucky  the  man 
who  visits  Nedjed  without  being  previously  well 
versed  in  the  niceties  of  grammar,’  said  Barakat  ; 

‘  under  these  schoolmasters  a  mistake  might  cost 
the  scholar  his  head.’  But  ol  this  more  anon  :  to 
return  to  our  subject,  Abd-el-’Azeez,  a  true  politi¬ 
cian,  answered  our  second  interrogation  with  a 
vague  assurance  of  good  will  and  unmeaning  pa- 
tionage.  Meantime  the  Ha  lb  and  his  train 
marched  ofl  in  high  dudgeon  to  their  quarters, 
and  Aboo-’Eysa  gave  our  dromedaries  a  kick, 
made  them  rise,  and  drove  them  before  us  to  our 
new  abode.” 

In  the,  course  of  a  day  or  two,  the  travellers  dis¬ 
covered  what  a  sensation  the  arrival  of  their  cara¬ 
van  had  produced  at  court.  The  old  king,  Feysul, 
now  in  the  33d  year  of  his  reign,  possessed  all  the 


212 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


superstition  and  bigotry  of  the  old  Waliabees,  and 
the  sudden  presence  of  Syrians,  suspected  of  being 
Christians,  Persians  and  Meccans,  in  his  capital, 
was  too  much  for  him.  He  at  once  left  the  palace, 
took  up  his  temporary  residence  in  a  house  out¬ 
side  the  city,  and  a  strong  guard  was  posted  around 
him  until  the  court  officials  should  have  time  to 
examine  the  strangers,  discover,  if  possible,  their 
secret  designs,  and  report  them  to  the  king.  The 
first  spy  was  a  shrewd  and  intelligent  Affghan,  a 
pretended  convert  to  the  Wahabee  doctrine,  who 
discovered  nothing,  and  consequently  made  an 
unfavorable  report.  The  second  was  a  “  man  ot 
zeal,”  one  of  a  committee  of  twenty-two  inquisitors, 
appointed  by  the  king  to  exercise  constant  espion¬ 
age  upon  the  inhabitants,  with  the  power  of  punish¬ 
ing  them  at  will  for  any  infraction  or  neglect  of  the 
Wahabee  discipline.  Palgrave  gives  the  following 
account  of  his  visit : 

“  Abbood,  for  such  was  his  name,  though  I  never 
met  the  like  before  or  after  in  Arabia  proper,  how¬ 
ever  common  it  may  be  in  Syria  and  Lebanon,  took 
a  different  and  a  more  efficacious  mode  of  espion¬ 
age  than  ’Abd-el-Hameed  had  done  before  him. 
Affecting  to  consider  us  Mahometans,  and  learned 
ones  too,  he  entered  at  once  on  religious  topics,  on 
the  true  character  of  Islam,  its  purity  or  corrup¬ 
tions,  and  inquired  much  after  the  present  teaching 
and  usages  of  Damascus  and  the  North,  evidently 
in  the  view  of  catching  us  in  our  words.  But  he 
had  luckily  encountered  his  match  ;  for  every 
citation  of  the  Koran  we  replied  with  two,  and 


AD  VENTURES  ID  BP  AD. 


243 


proved  ourselves  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
‘greater’  and  the  ‘lesser’  polytheism  of. foreign 
nations  and  heterodox  Mahometans,  with  the  com¬ 
mentaries  of  Bey  do  wee  and  the  tales  of  the 
Hadeeth,  till  our  visitor,  now  won  over  to  confi¬ 
dence,  launched  out  full  sail  on  the  sea  of .  discus¬ 
sion,  and  thereby  rendered  himself  equally  instruc¬ 
tive  and  interesting  to  men  who  had  nothing  more 
at  heart  than  to  learn  the  tenets  of  the  sect  from 
one  of  its  most  zealous  professors,  nay,  a  Zelator  in 
person.  In  short,  he  ended  by  becoming  half  a 
friend,  and  his  regrets  at  our  being,  like  other  Da¬ 
mascenes,  yet  in  the  outer  porch  of  darkness,  were 
tempered  by  a  hope,  which  he  did  not  disguise,  of 
at  least  putting  a  window  in  our  porch  for  its  better 
enlightenment.” 

Next  day,  in  the  forenoon,  while  the  travellers 
were  sauntering  about  the  market-place,  they  met 
the  minister  Abd-el-’Azeez,  who  had  that  morning 
returned  to  the  capital.  With  a  smiling  face  and 
an  air  of  great  benignity  he  took  them  aside, 
and  informed  them  the  king  did  not  consider  Bi’ad 
a  proper  field  for  their  medical  skill ;  that  they  had 
better  at  once  continue  their  journey  to  Hofhoof, 
whither  Aboo-’Eysa  should  conduct  them  straight¬ 
way  j  and  that  the  king  would  furnish  each  of  them 
with  a  camel,  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  and  some 
money.  To  these  arguments  Palgrave  could  only 
answer  that  he  greatly  desired  the  profit  to  be 
expected  from  a  few  weeks  of  medical  practice  in 
Iti  ad,  since  his  success  there  would  give  him  an 
immediate  reputation  in  Hofhoof,  while  his  depart- 


244 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


are  might  deprive  him  of  all  reputation  at  the 
latter  place.  The  minister  promised  to  present  his 
plea  to  Feysul,  but  gave  him  no  hope  of  a  favor¬ 
able  answer.  The  order  to  leave  was  repeated,  and 
then,  as  a  last  experiment,  Palgrave  sent  to  two  of 
the  ministers  a  pound  of  the  fragrant  wood,  which 
is  burned  as  pastilles  in  Arabia,  and  is  highly 
prized  by  the  upper  classes.  The  next  day  he  re¬ 
ceived  permission  to  remain  longer  in  Hi’ ad,  and 
exercise  his  profession.  He  thereupon  took  another 
residence,  not  so  near  the  palace,  and  within  con¬ 
venient  reach  of  one  of  the  city  gates.  Before 
describing  the  place,  he  gives  the  following  ac¬ 
count  of  the  famous  Arabian  coffee. 

“  Be  it  then  known,  by  way  of  prelude,  that 
coffee  though  one  in  name  is  manifold  in  fact ;  nor 
is  every  kind  of  berry  entitled  to  the  high  qualifi¬ 
cations  too  indiscriminately  bestowed  on  the  com¬ 
prehensive  genus.  The  best  coffee,  let  cavillers  say 
what  they  will,  is  that  of  the  Yemen,  commonly 
entitled  c  Mokha,’  from  the  main  place  of  exporta¬ 
tion.  Now  I  should  be  sorry  to  incur  a  lawsuit  for 
libel  or  defamation  from  our  wholesale  or  retail 
salesmen ;  but  were  the  particle  not  prefixed  to 
the  countless  labels  in  London  shop-windows  that 
bear  the  name  of  the  Bed  Sea  haven,  they  would 
have  a  more  truthy  import  than  what  at  present 
they  convey.  Very  little,  so  little  indeed  as  to  be 
quite  inappreciable,  of  the  Mocha  or  Yemen  berry 
ever  finds  its  way  westward  of  Constantinople. 
Arabia  itself,  Syria,  and  Egypt  consume  fully  two 
thirds,  and  the  remainder  is  almost  exclusively 


AD  VENTURES  IN  HI’ AD. 


245 


absorbed  by  Turkish  and  Armenian  oesophagi. 
Nor  do  these  last  get  for  their  limited  share  the 
best  or  the  purest.  Before  reaching  the  harbors  of 
Alexandria,  Jaffa,  Beyrout,  etc.,  for  further  expor¬ 
tation,  the  Mokhan  bales  have  been,  while  yet  on 
their  way,  silted  and  resitted,  grain  by  grain,  and 
whatever  they  may  have  contained  of  the  hard, 
rounded,  half- transparent,  greenish  brown  berrp, 
the  only  one  really  worth  roasting  and  pounding, 
has  been  carefully  picked  out  by  experienced 
fingers ;  and  it  is  the  less  generous  residue  of 
flattened,  opaque,  and  whitish  grains  which  alone, 
or  almost  alone,  goes  on  board  the  shipping.  So 
constant  is  this  selecting  process,  that  a  gradation 
regular  as  the  degrees  on  a  map  may  be  observed 
in  the  quality  of  Mokha,  that  is,  Yemen,  coffee 
even  within  the  limits  of  Arabia  itself,  in  proportion 
as  one  approaches  to  or  recedes  from  Wadi  Nejran 
and  the  neighborhood  of  Mecca,  the  first  stages 
of  the  radiating  mart.  I  have  myself  been  times 
out  of  number  an  eye-witness  of  this  sifting;  the 
operation  is  performed  with  the  utmost  seriousness 
and  scrupulous  exactness,  reminding  me  of  the  dili¬ 
gence  ascribed  to  American  diamond-searchers, 
when  scrutinizing  the  torrent  sands  for  their  minute 
but  precious  treasure. 

“  The  berry,  thus  qualified  for  foreign  use,  quits 
its  native  land  on  three  main  lines  of  export — that 
of  the  Bed  Sea,  that  of  the  inner  Hedjaz,  and  that 
of  Kaseem.  The  terminus  of  the  first  line  is 
Egypt,  of  the  second  Syria,  of  the  third  Nedjed 
aud  Shomer.  Hence  Egypt  and  Syria  are,  of  ;.ll 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


2fG 

countries  without  the  frontiers  of  Arabia,  the  best 
supplied  with  its  specific  produce,  though  under  the 
restrictions  already  stated ;  and  through  Alexan¬ 
dria  or  the  Syrian  seaports,  Constantinople  and  the 
North  obtain  their  diminished  share.  But  this 
last  stage  of  transport  seldom  conveys  the  genuine 
article,  except  by  the  intervention  of  private 
arrangements  and  personal  friendship  or  interest. 
Where  mere  sale  and  traffic  are  concerned,  sub¬ 
stitution  of  an  inferior  quality,  or  an  adulteration 
almost  equivalent  to  substitution,  frequently  takes 
place  in  the  different  storehouses  of  the  coast,  till 
whatever  Mokha-marked  coffee  leaves  them  for 
Europe  and  the  West,  is  often  no  more  like  the 
real  offspring  of  the  Yemen  plant  than  the  log¬ 
wood  preparations  of  a  London  fourth- rate  retail 
wine-seller  resemble  the  pure  libations  of  an 
Oporto  vineyard. 

The  second  species  of  coffee,  by  some  preferred 
to  that  of  Yemen,  but  in  my  poor  opinion  inferior 
to  it,  is  the  growth  of  Abyssinia ;  its  berrv  is 
larger,  and  of  a  somewhat  different  and  a  less 
heating  flavor.  It  is,  however,  an  excellent  species  ; 
and  whenever  the  rich  land  that  bears  it  shall  be 
permitted  by  man  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  her 
natural  fertility,  it  will  probably  become  an  object 
of  extensive  cultivation  and  commerce.  With  this 
stops,  at  least  in  European  opinion  and  taste,  the 
list  of  coffee,  and  begins  the  list  of  beans. 

While  we  were  yet  in  the  Djowf,  I  described 
with  sufficient  minuteness  how  the  berry  is  prepared 
for  actual  use  ;  nor  is  the  process  any  way  varied  hi 


ADVENTURES  IN  READ. 


247 


Nedjed  or  other  Arab  lands.  But  in  Nedjed  an  ad¬ 
ditional  spicing  of  saffron,  cloves,  and  the  like,  is 
still  more  common  ;  a  fact  which  is  easily  explained 
by  the  want  of  what  stimulus  tobacco  affords  else¬ 
where.  A  second  consequence  of  non-smoking 
among  the  Arabs  is  the  increased  strength  of  their 
coffee  decoctions  in  Nedjed,  and  the  prodigious  fre¬ 
quency  of  their  use  ;  to  which  we  must  add  the 
larger  ‘  finjans,’  or  coffee-cups,  here  in  fashion.  So 
sure  are  men,  when  debarred  of  one  pleasure  or 
excitement,  to  make  it  up  by  another.” 

Palg  rave  gives  the  following  picturesque  descrip¬ 
tion  of  the  Wahabee  capital :  “We  wrap  our  head- 
gear,  like  true  Arabs,  round  our  chins,  put  on  our 
grave-looking  black  cloaks,  take  each  a  long  stick  in 
hand,  and  thread  the  narrow  streets  intermediate 
between  our  house  and  the  market-place  at  a  fune¬ 
ral  pace,  and  speaking  in  an  undertone.  Those 
whom  we  meet  salute  us,  or  we  salute  them ;  be  it 
known  that  the  lesser  number  should  always  be  the 
first  to  salute  the  greater,  he  who  rides  him  who 
walks,  he  who  walks  him  who  stands,  the  stander 
the  sitter,  and  so  forth  ;  but  never  should  a  man 
salute  a  woman  ;  difference  of  age  or  even  of  rank 
between  men  does  not  enter  into  the  general  rules 
touching  the  priority  of  salutation.  If  those  whom 
we  have  accosted  happen  to  be  acquaintances  or 
patients,  or  should  they  belong  to  the  latitudinarian 
school,  our  salutation  is  duly  returned.  But  if,  by 
ill  fortune,  they  appertain  to  the  strict  and  high 
orthodox  party  an  under-look  with  a  half-scowl  in 


248 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


silence  is  their  only  answer  to  our  greeting.  Where¬ 
at  we  smile,  Malvolio-like,  and  pass  on. 

At  last  we  reach  the  market-place  ;  it  is  full  of 
women  and  peasants,  selling  exactly  what  we  want 
to  buy,  besides  meat,  fire- wood,  milk,  etc.;  around 
are  customers,  come  on  errands  like  our  own.  We 
single  out  a  tempting  basket  of  dates,  and  begin 
haggling  with  the  unbeautiful  Phyllis,  seated  beside 
her  rural  store.  We  find  the  price  too  high.  ‘  By 
Him  who  protects  Feysul,’  answers  she,  ‘  I  am  the 
loser  at  that  price.’  We  insist.  ‘  By  Him  who 
shall  grant  Feysul  a  long  life,  I  cannot  bate  it,’  she 
replies.  We  have  nothing  to  oppose  to  such  tre¬ 
mendous  asseverations,  and  accede  or  pass  on,  as 
the  case  may  be. 

Hall  of  the  shops,  namely,  those  containing  gro- 
ceiy ,  household  articles  of  use,  shoemakers’  stalls 
and  smithies,  are  already  open  and  busily  thronged. 
For  the  capital  of  a  strongly  centralized  empire  is 
always  full  of  strangers,  come  will  they  nill  they  on 
their  several  affairs.  But  around  the  butchers’ 
shops  awaits  the  greatest  human  and  canine  crowd  : 
my  readers,  I  doubt  not,  know  that  the  only  licensed 
scavengers  throughout  the  East  are  the  dogs.  Ned- 
jeans  are  great  flesh-eaters,  and  no  wonder,  consid¬ 
ering  the  cheapness  of  meat  (a  fine  fat  sheep  costs 
at  most  five  shillings,  often  less)  and  the  keenness  of 
mountaineer  appetites.  I  wish  that  the  police  regu¬ 
lations  of  the  city  would  enforce  a  little  more  clean¬ 
liness  about  these  numerous  shambles  ;  every  refuse 
is  left  to  cumber  the  ground  at  scarce  two  yards’ 
distance.  But  dogs  and  dry  air  much  alleviate  the 


ADVENTURES  IN  READ. 


249 


nuisance — a  remark  I  made  before  at  Ha’yel  and 
Bereydah  ;  it  holds  true  for  all  Central  Arabia. 

“  Barakat  and  I  resolve  on  continuing  our  walk 
through  the  town.  Iliad  is  divided  into  four  quar¬ 
ters  :  one,  the  northeastern,  to  which  the  palaces  of 
the  royal  family,  the  houses  of  the  state  officers,  and 
the  richer  class  of  proprietors  and  government  men 
belong.  Here  the  dwellings  are  in  general  high, 
and  the  streets  tolerably  straight  and  not  over¬ 
narrow  ;  but  the  ground  level  is  low,  and  it  is  per¬ 
haps  the  least  healthy  locality  of  all.  Next  the 
northwestern,  where  we  are  lodged  ;  a  large  irregu¬ 
lar  mass  of  houses,  varying  in  size  and  keeping  from 
the  best  to  the  worst ;  here  strangers,  and  often  cer¬ 
tain  equivocal  characters,  never  wanting  in  large 
towns,  however  strictly  regulated,  chiefly  abide ; 
here  too  are  many  noted  for  disaffection,  and  har¬ 
boring  other  tenets  than  those  of  the  son  of  ’Abd¬ 
el- Wahab,  men  prone  to  old  Arab  ways  and  customs 
in  ‘  Church  and  State,’  to  borrow  our  own  analogous 
phrase ;  here  are  country  chiefs,  here  Bedouins  and 
natives  of  Zulphah  and  the  outskirts  find  a  lodging  : 
here,  if  anywhere,  is  tobacco  smoked  or  sold,  and 
the  Koran  neglected  in  proportion.  However,  I 
would  not  have  my  readers  to  think  our  entire  neigh¬ 
borhood  so  absolutely  disreputable. 

“  But  we  gladly  turn  away  our  eyes  from  sc 
dreary  a  view  to  refresh  them  by  a  survey  of  the 
southwestern  quarter,  the  chosen  abode  of  formal¬ 
ism  and  orthodoxy.  In  this  section  of  Ri’ad  inhabit 
the  most  energetic  Zelators,  here  are  the  most  irre¬ 
proachable  five-prayers-a-day  Nedjeans,  and  all  the 


250 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


flower  of  Wahabee  purity.  Above  all,  here  dwell 
the  principal  survivors  of  the  family  of  the  great  re¬ 
ligious  Founder,  the  posterity  of  ’Abd-el-Wahab 
escaped  from  the  Egyptian  sword,  and  free  from 
every  stain  of  foreign  contamination.  Mosques  of 
primitive  simplicity  and  ample  space,  where  the 
great  dogma,  not  however  confined  to  Ri’ad,  that 
we  are  exactly  in  the  right,  and  every  one  else  is  in 
the  wrong,  is  daily  inculcated  to  crowds  of  auditors, 
overjoyed  to  find  Paradise  all  theirs  and  none’s  but 
theirs  ;  smaller  oratories  of  Musallas,  wells  for  ab¬ 
lution,  and  Kaabah- directed  niches  adorn  every  cor¬ 
ner,  and  fill  up  every  interval  of  house  or  orchard. 
The  streets  of  this  quarter  are  open,  and  the  air 
healthy,  so  that  the  invisible  blessing  is  seconded 
by  sensible  and  visible  privileges  of  Providence. 
Think  not,  gentle  reader,  that  I  am  indulging  in 
gratuitous  or  self-invented  irony  \  X  am  only  render¬ 
ing  expression  for  expression,  and  almost  word  for 
word,  the  talk  of  true  Wahabees,  when  describing 
the  model  quarter  of  their  model  city.  This  section 
of  the  town  is  spacious  and  well-peopled,  and  flour¬ 
ishes,  the  citadel  of  national  and  religious  intole- 
rance,  pious  pride,  and  genuine  Wahabeeism. 

“Round  the  whole  town  run  the  walls,  varying 
fi  om  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height ;  they  are  strong, 
in  good  repair,  and  defended  by  a  deep  trench  and 
embankment.  Beyond  them  are  the  gardens,  much 
similai  to  those  of  I£aseem,  both  in  arrangement 
and  produce,  despite  the  difference  of  latitude,  here 
compensated  by  a  higher  ground  level.  But  imme¬ 
diately  to  the  south,  in  Yemamah,  the  eye  remarks 


ADVENTURES  IN  RI’AD. 


251 


a  change  in  the  vegetation  to  a  more  tropical  as¬ 
pect  ;  of  this,  however,  I  will  not  say  more  for  the 
present. 

“  A  striking  feature  in  this  southerly  slope  of  the 
central  plateau  is  the  much  greater  abundance  of 
water  here  than  on  its  northern  terrace  in  Sedeyr. 
This  comparative  moisture  of  the  soil  and  of  the 
atmosphere,  the  latter  being,  in  fact,  a  consequence 
of  the  former,  is  first  perceptible  about  Horeyme- 
lah,  whence  it  increases  progressively  southward, 
till  it  attains  its  maximum  in  the  Yemamah ;  far¬ 
ther  on  towards  Hareek  and  Dowasir,  it  ao:ain 
diminishes,  partly  I  suppose,  from  the  growing  dis¬ 
tance  from  the  mountainous  district,  partly  from 
the  vicinity  of  the  Great  Desert  and  its  arid  heat. 

“According  to  promise,  Eboo-’Eysa  played  his 
part  to  bring  us  in  patients  and  customers,  and  the 
very  second  morning  that  dawned  on  us  in  our  new 
house,  ushered  in  an  invalid  who  proved  a  very 
godsend.  This  was  no  other  than  Djowhar,  trea¬ 
surer  of  Eeysul,  and  of  the  Wahabee  empire.  My 
readers  may  be  startled  to  learn  that  this  great 
functionary  was  jet  black,  a  negro  in  fact,  though 
not  a  slave,  having  obtained  his  freedom  from  Tur- 
kee,  the  father  of  the  present  king.  He  was  tall, 
and  for  a  negro,  handsome ;  about  forty-five  years 
of  age,  splendidly  dressed,  a  point  never  neglected 
by  wealthy  Africans,  whatever  be  their  theoretical 
creed,  and  girt  with  a  golden-hilted  sword.  ‘  But,’ 
said  he,  ‘gold,  though  unlawful  if  forming  a  part  of 
apparel  or  mere  ornament,  may  be  employed  with 
a  safe  conscience  in  decorating  weapons.’  Manj> 


252 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


preachers  nave,  I  believe,  wasted  time  and  elo¬ 
quence  in  attempting  to  persuade  the  ladies  to  mo¬ 
deration  in  dress.  I  would  gladly  consent  to  see 
them  try  their  chance  with  a  congregation  of  upper 
class  negroes  ;  what  might  be  the  result  I  know 
not,  but  certainly  Gabriel  and  the  Wuhabee  have 
both  made  a  complete  failure  in  this  respect.  In  all 
other  points  Djowhar  was  an  excellent  fellow,  g)o  1 
humored,  rather  hot  tempered,  but  tractable  and 
confiding,  like  most  ‘people  of  his  skin,’  in  Arab 
phrase. 

“The  disease  he  was  actually  suffering  under  an¬ 
noyed  him  much,  especially  as  Feysul  desired  to 
send  him  without  delay  on  a  government  errand  to 
Bahreyn,  (where  we  afterwards  met  him,)  a  busi¬ 
ness  which  his  bad  state  of  health  rendered  him 
wholly  unfit  for.  Thus,  bettering  his  condition 
might  be  almost  looked  on  as  a  national  service. 
Aboo-’Eysa,  an  old  acquaintance  and  friend  of  the 
chief  treasurer’s,  introduced  him,  and  placed  him 
in  great  dignity  on  a  carpet  spread  in  the  court¬ 
yard,  where,  with  two  or  three  other  individuals  of 
wealth  and  importance,  he  seated  himself  beside 
the  patient,  and  launched  out  into  a  eulogium  of 
my  medical  skill,  which  would  have  required  some 
qualification  if  applied  to  Cullen  himself ;  but  it 
served  wonderfully  to  encourage  Djowhar,  and  thus 
predispose  him  for  a  cure. 

“  After  ceremonies  and  coffee,  I  took  my  dusky 
patient  into  the  consulting  room,  where,  by  dint  of 
questioning  and  surmise,  for  negroes  in  general  are 
much  less  clear  and  less  to  the  point  than  Arabs  in 


AD  VENTURES  IN  HI’ AD. 


253 


their  statements,  I  obtained  the  requisite  elucidation 
of  his  case.  The  malady,  though  painful,  was  for¬ 
tunately  one  admitting  of  simple  and  efficacious 
treatment,  so  that  I  was  able  on  the  spot  to  promise 
him  a  sensible  amendment  of  condition  within  a 
fortnight,  and  that  in  three  weeks’  time  he  should 
be  in  plight  to  undertake  his  journey  to  Bahreyn.  I 
added  that  with  so  distinguished  a  personage  I 
could  not  think  of  exacting  a  bargain  and  fixing  the 
amount  of  fees  ;  the  requital  of  my  care  should  be 
left  to  his  generosity.  He  then  took  leave,  and  was 
re-conducted  to  his  rooms  in  the  palace  by  his  fellow- 
blacks  of  less  degree.” 

The  next  visitor  was  Abd-el-Kereem,  of  the 
oldest  nobility  of  Nedjed,  related  to  the  ruling 
family  ;  a  bitter  Wahabee,  a  strong,  intelligent,  bad, 
and  dangerous  man,  who  was  both  hated  and  feared 
by  the  people.  His  visit  was  a  distinction  for  Pal- 
grave,  yet  an  additional  danger.  The  latter,  how¬ 
ever,  determined  to  draw  as  much  information  from 
him  concerning  Wahabee  doctrine  as  he  might  be 
inclined  to  give;  and,  in  reality,  found  him  quite 
communicative.  One  day  Palgrave  asked  him  to  de¬ 
fine  the  difference  between  the  great  sins  and  the  little 
ones — that  is,  those  to  be  punished  in  the  next 
world,  or  at  least  deserving  of  it,  and  those  whose 
penalty  is  remissible  in  this  life. 

“Abd-el-Kereem  doubted  not  that  he  had  a  sin¬ 
cere  scholar  before  him,  nor  would  refuse  his  hand 
to  a  drowning  man.  So,  putting  on  a  profound  air, 
and  with  a  voice  of  first-class  solemnity,  he  uttered 
his  oracle,  that  £  the  first  of  the  great  sius  is  the 


254 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


giving  divine  honors  to  a  creature.’  A  hit,  I  may 
observe,  at  ordinary  Mahometans,  whose  whole 
doctrine  of  intercession,  whether  vested  in  Mahomet 
or  in  ’Alee,  is  classed  by  Waliabees  along  with 
direct  and  downright  idolatry.  A  Damascene  Shekh 
would  have  avoided  the  equivocation  by  answering, 

‘  infidelity.’ 

“  ‘  Of  course,’  1  replied,  ‘  the  enormity  of  such  a 
sin  is  beyond  all  doubt.  But  if  this  be  the  first, 
there  must  be  a  second ;  what  is  it  ?’ 

“  £  Drinking  the  shameful,’  in  English,  ‘  smoking 
tobacco,’  was  the  unhesitating  answer. 

“  ‘And  murder,  and  adultery,  and  false  witness  ?’ 
I  suggested. 

“  ‘  God  is  merciful  and  forgiving,’  rejoined  my 
friend  ;  that  is,  these  are  merely  little  sins. 

“  ‘  Hence  two  sins  alone  are  great,  polytheism  and 
smoking,’  I  continued,  though  hardly  able  to  keep 
countenance  any  longer.  And  Abd-el-Kereem  with 
the  most  serious  asseveration  replied  that  such  was 
really  the  case.  On  hearing  this,  I  proceeded 
humbly  to  entreat  my  friend  to  explain  to  me  the 
especial  wickedness  inherent  in  tobacco  leaves,  that 
I  might  the  more  detest  and  eschew  them  here¬ 
after. 

“  Accordingly  he  proceeded  to  instruct  me,  say¬ 
ing  that,  Firstly,  all  intoxicating  substances  are  pro¬ 
hibited  by  the  Koran  ;  but  tobacco  is  an  intoxicating 
substance — Ergo,  tobacco  is  prohibited. 

“  I  insinuated  that  it  was  not  intoxicating,  and 
appealed  to  experience.  But,  to  my  surprise,  my 
friend  had  experience  too  on  his  side,  and  had 


AD  VENTURES  ID  RI'AD. 


255 


ready  at  hand  the  most  appalling  tales  of  men 
falling  down  dead  drunk  after  a  single  whiff  of 
smoke,  and  of  others  in  a  state  of  bestial  and 
habitual  ebriety  from  its  use.  Nor  were  his  stories 
so  purely  gratuitous  as  many  might  at  first  imagine. 
The  only  tobacco  known,  when  known,  in  Southern 
Nedjed,  is  that  of  Oman,  a  very  powerful  species. 
I  was  myself  astonished,  and  almost  ‘  taken  in,’ 
more  than  once,  by  its  extraordinary  narcotic  effects, 
when  I  experienced  them,  in  the  coffee-houses  of 
Bahreyn. 

“  I  cannot  leave  in  silence  ’Abd-el-Lateef,  the 
great-grandson  of  the  famed  Waliabee,  and  now 
Kadee  of  the  capital — a  very,  indeed  remarkably, 
handsome  and  fair-spoken  man,  and  bearing  in  his 
manners  a  sensible  dash  of  Egyptian  civilization. 
While  yet  a  mere  child  he  was  carried  to  Egypt 
with  the  rest  of  his  family  by  the  conquering  Basha, 
and  there  educated.  Cairo  society,  and  the  inter¬ 
course  of  men  more  learned  and  less  exclusive  than 
those  of  Nedjed  and  Derey’eeyah,  have  taught  him 
an  ease  and  variety  of  conversation  surprising  in  a 
Kadee  of  Bi’ad  ;  and  thus  enabled  him  to  assume 
on  occasion  a  liberality  of  phrase  free  from  the  cant 
terms  and  wearisome  tautology  of  the  sect  which  he 
heads.  But  such  liberal  semblance  is  merely  a  sur¬ 
face  whitewash  :  the  tongue  may  be  the  tongue  of 
Egypt,  but  the  heart  and  brain  are  ever  those  of 
Nedjed.  Nor  do  I  believe  that  the  central  moun¬ 
tains  of  Arabia  contain  a  more  dangerous  man  than 
’Abd-el-Lateef,  or  one  who  more  cordially  hates  the 
progress  he  has  witnessed,  and  in  which  he  has  to  a 


256 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


certain  degree  participated.  It  is  the  embodied  an¬ 
tipathy  of  bad  to  good,  at  least  equal  to  that  of  good 
to  bad.” 

Palgrave  furnishes  a  tolerably  complete  account 
of  the  provinces  of  Nedjed  and  the  tribes  which 
inhabit  them.  His  concluding  statement,  however, 
embodies  all  which  will  interest  the  reader. 

“To  sum  up,  we  may  say  that  the  Wahabee  em¬ 
pire  is  a  compact  and  well-organized  government, 
where  centralization  is  fully  understood  and  effectu¬ 
ally  carried  out,  and  whose  main-springs  and  con¬ 
necting-links  are  force  and  fanaticism.  There  exist 
no  constitutional  checks  either  on  the  king  or  on  his 
subordinates,  save  what  the  necessity  of  circum¬ 
stance  imposes  or  the  Koran  prescribes.  Its  atmo¬ 
sphere,  to  speak  metaphorically,  is  sheer  despotism, 
moral,  intellectual,  religious,  and  physical.  This 
empire  is  capable  of  frontier  extension,  and  hence  is 
dangerous  to  its  neighbors,  some  of  whom  it  is  even 
now  swallowing  up,  and  will  certainly  swallow  more 
if  not  otherwise  prevented.  Incapable  of  true  in¬ 
ternal  progress,  hostile  to  commerce,  unfavorable  to 
arts  and  even  to  agriculture,  and  in  the  highest  de¬ 
gree  intolerant  and  aggressive,  it  can  neither  better 
itself  nor  benefit  others  ;  while  the  order  and  calm 
which  it  sometimes  spreads  over  the  lands  of  its 
conquest,  are  described  in  the  oft-cited  Ubi  solitudi- 
nem  faciunt  pacem  appellant  of  the  It o man  annalist. 

“In  conclusion,  I  here  subjoin  a  numerical  list, 
taken  partly  from  the  government  registers  of 
lli’ad,  partly  from  local  information,  and  containing 
the  provinces,  the  number  of  the  principal  towns  or 


AD  VENTURES  IN  RFAD. 


257 


villages,  the  population,  and  the  military  contingent, 
throughout  the  Wahabee  empire. 


Provinces.  Towns  or  villages. 

Population. 

Military  muster 

I. — ’Aared  . . . 

1  V 

•  •  *  *  At/ 

..110,000...  . 

li. — Y.mamah, 

....32 . 

..140,000.... 

. 4,500 

III.  — Hareek . . . 

. 16 . 

..  45,000.... 

. 3,000 

IV.—  Aflaj . 

. . . .12 . 

..  14,000.... 

. 1,200 

V.  —  VV ady  Dowasir  50 . 

.100,000  . .  . 

. 4,000 

Vi. — Selev’yel. . 

....14 . 

..  30,000.... 

. 1,400 

Vli. — YVoshem. . 

. 20 . 

..  80,000.... 

. 4,000 

VIII.  — Sedeyr . . . . 

..  .  .25 . 

..140,000...  . 

. 5,200 

IX. — Kaseem. . . 

. ...  60 . 

.,300,000... . 

. 11,000 

X. — Hasa . 

. 50 . 

.160,000... 

. 7,000 

XI. — Kateef  . . . . 

_ 22 . 

.  .100,000.. 

216 

1,219,000... 

. 47,300 

After  a  time,  Palgrave  was  sent  for  by  Abdallah, 
the  eldest  son  of  King  Feysul,  who  pretended  that 
he  wished  to  learn  something  of  the  medical  art. 
This  led  to  a  regular  intercourse,  which  at  least  ena¬ 
bled  the  traveller  to  learn  many  things  concerning 
the  Wahabee  government.  Another  important  re¬ 
sult  was  an  opportunity  of  visiting  the  royal  stables, 
where  the  finest  specimens  of  the  famous  Nedjed 
breed  of  horses  are  kept.  Of  these  he  gives  the 
following  interesting  description  : 

“  The  stables  are  situated  some  way  out  of  the 
town,  to  the  northeast,  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  road 
which  we  had  followed  at  our  first  arrival,  and  not 
far  from  the  gardens  of  ’Abd-er-Kahman  the  Waha¬ 
bee.  They  cover  a  large  square  space,  about  150 
yards  each  way,  and  are  open  in  the  centre,  with  a 
long  shed  running  round  the  inner  walls;  under  this 
covering  the  horses,  about  three  hundred  in  num¬ 
ber  when  I  saw  them,  are  picketed  during  the  night ; 


258 


TRAVELS  11 V  ARABIA. 


in  tlie  daytime  they  may  stretch  their  legs  at  pleas¬ 
ure  within  the  central  courtyard.  The  greater  num¬ 
ber  were  accordingly  loose ;  a  few,  however,  were 
tied  up  at  their  stalls ;  some,  but  not  many,  had 
horse-cloths  over  them.  The  heavy  dews  which  fall 
in  Wady  Haneefah  do  not  permit  their  remaining 
with  impunity  in  the  open  night  air  ;  I  w.as  told  also 
that  a  northerly  wind  will  occasionally  injure  the 
animals  here,  no  less  than  the  land  wind  does  now 
and  then  their  brethren  in  India.  About  half  the 
royal  stud  was  present  before  me,  the  rest  were  out 
at  grass ;  Feysul’s  entire  muster  is  reckoned  at  six 
hundred,  or  rather  more. 

“No  Arab  dreams  of  tying  up  a  horse  by  the 
neck  ;  a  tether  replaces  the  halter,  and*  one  of  the 
animal’s  hind  legs  is  encircled  about  the  pastern  by 
a  light  iron  ring,  furnished  with  a  padlock,  and 
connected  wi^th  an  iron  chain  of  two  feet  or  tlieiea- 
bouts  in  length,  ending  in  a  rope,  which  is  fastened 
to  the  ground  at  some  distance  by  an  iron  peg  ; 
such  is  the  customary  method.  But  should  the 
animal  be  restless  and  troublesome,  a  foreleg  is  put 
under  similar  restraint.  It  is  well  known  that  in  Ara¬ 
bia  horses  are  much  less  frequently  vicious  or  re¬ 
fractory  than  in  Europe,  and  this  is  the  reaso  1 
why  geldings  are  here  so  rare,  though  not  un¬ 
known.  No  particular  prejudice,  that  I  could  dis¬ 
cover,  exists  against  the  operation  itself ;  only  it  is 
seldom  performed,  because  not  otherwise  necessary, 
and  tending,  of  course,  to  diminish  the  value  of  the 
animal. 

But  to  return  to  the  horses  now  before  us : 


ADVENTURES  IN  HI’ AD. 


259 


never  had  I  seen  or  imagined  so  lovely  a  collec¬ 
tion.  Their  stature  was  indeed  somewhat  low ;  I 
do  not  think  that  any  came  fully  up  to  fifteen 
hands ;  fourteen  appeared  to  me  about  their  aver¬ 
age,  but  they  were  so  exquisitely  well  shaped  that 
want  of  greater  size  seemed  hardly,  if  at  all,  a  de¬ 
fect.  Remarkably  full  in  the  haunches,  with  a 
shoulder  of  a  slope  so  elegant  as  to  make  one,  in 
the  words  of  an  Arab  poet,  ‘  go  raving  mad  about 
it;’  a  little,  a  very  little,  saddle-backed,  just  the 
curve  which  indicates  springiness  without  any  weak¬ 
ness  ;  a  head  broad  above,  and  tapering  down  to  a 
nose  fine  enough  to  verify  the  phrase  of  ‘  drinking 
from  a  pint  pot,’  did  pint  pots  exist  in  Nedjed  ;  a 
most  intelligent  and  yet  a  singularly  gentle  look, 
full  eye,  sharp  thorn-like  little  ear,  legs  fore  and 
hind  that  seemed  as  if  made  of  hammered  iron,  so 
clean  and  yet  so  well  twisted  with  sinew ;  a  neat, 
round  hoof,  just  the  requisite  for  hard  ground ;  the 
tail  set  on,  or  rather  thrown  out  at  a  perfect  arch ; 
coats  smooth,  shining  and  light,  the  mane  long,  but 
not  overgrown  nor  heavy,  and  an  air  and  step  that 
seemed  to  say,  ‘  look  at  me,  am  I  not  pretty  ?’  their 
appearance  justified  all  reputation,  all  value,  all 
poetry.  The  prevailing  color  was  chestnut  or  grey  ; 
a  light  bay,  an  iron  color,  white  or  black,  were 
less  common ;  full  bay,  flea-bitten  or  piebald,  none. 
But  if  asked  what  are,  after  all,  the  specially 
distinctive  points  or  the  Nedjee  horse,  I  should 
reply,  the  slope  of  the  shoulder,  the  extreme  clean¬ 
ness  of  the  shank,  and  the  full,  rounded  haunch, 
though  every  other  part,  too,  has  a  perfection  and  a 


260 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


harmony  unwitnessed  (at  least  by  my  eyes)  any¬ 
where  else. 

“  Nedjee  horses  are  especially  esteemed  for  great 
speed  and  endurance  of  fatigue ;  indeed,  in  this 
latter  quality,  none  come  up  to  them.  To  pass 
twenty-lour  hours  on  the  road  without  drink  and 
without  flagging  is  certainly  something;  but  to 
keep  up  the  same  abstinence  and  labor  conjoined 
under  the  burning  Arabian  sky  for  forty-eight 
hours  at  a  stretch,  is,  I  believe,  peculiar  to  the  ani¬ 
mals  of  the  breed.  Besides,  they  have  a  delicacy, 
I  cannot  say  of  mouth,  for  it  is  common  to  ride 
them  without  bit  or  bridle,  but  of  feeling  and  obe¬ 
dience  to  the  knee  and  thigh,  to  the  slightest  check 
of  the  halter  and  the  voice  of  the  rider,  far  surpass¬ 
ing  whatever  the  most  elaborate  manege  gives  a 
European  horse,  though  furnished  with  snaffle, 
curb,  and  all.  I  often  mounted  them  at  the  invita¬ 
tion  of  their  owners,  and  without  saddle,  rein,  or 
stirrup,  set  them  off  at  full  gallop,  wheeled  them 
round,  brought  them  up  in  mid  career  at  a  dead 
halt,  and  that  without  the  least  difficulty  or  the 
smallest  want  of  correspondence  between  the  horse’s 
movements  and  my  own  will;  the  rider  on  their 
back  really  feels  himself  the  man-half  of  a  centaur, 
not  a  distinct  being.” 

During  the  last  week  in  November,  the  Persian 
Na’ib,  who  had  been  little  edified  by  his  expe¬ 
riences  m  Nedjed,  set  off  for  Bagdad.  In  the 
meantime,  Feysul  had  made  great  preparations 
towards  collecting  an  army  for  the  reduction  of 
the  city  of  Oneyzah,  (near  Bereydali,)  which  still 


ADVENTURES  IN  RT  AD. 


261 


hold  out  gallantly.  Troops  were  summoned  from 
the  eastern  coast  and  the  adjoining  provinces,  and 
Sa’ood,  the  second  son  of  Feysul,  was  ordered  to 
bring  them  together  at  the  capital,  when  the  com¬ 
mand  was  to  be  given  to  Abdallah,  the  eldest  son. 
Palgrave  had  then  his  only  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  old  King  of  the  Wahabees. 

“  Sa’ood  speedily  arrived,  and  with  him  about 
two  hundred  horsemen ;  the  rest  of  his  men,  more 
than  two  thousand,  were  mounted  on  camels.  When 
they  entered  Ki’ad,  Feysul,  for  the  first  and  last 
time  during  our  stay,  gave  a  public  audience  at  the 
palace  gate.  It  was  a  scene  for  a  painter.  There 
sat  the  blind  old  tyrant,  corpulent,  decrepit,  yet  im¬ 
posing,  with  his  large,  broad  forehead,  white  beard, 
and  thoughtful  air,  clad  in  all  the  simplicity  of  a 
Wahabee;  the  gold  liafted  sword  at  his  side  his 
only  ornament  or  distinction.  Beside  him  the  min¬ 
isters,  the  officers  of  his  court,  and  a  crowd  of  the 
nobler  and  wealthier  citizens.  Abdallah,  the  heir 
of  the  throne,  was  alone  absent.  Up  came  Sa’ood 
with  the  bearing  of  a  hussar  officer,  richly  clad 
in  Cachemire  shawls  and  a  gold-wrought  mantle, 
while  man  by  man  followed  his  red-dressed  cava¬ 
liers,  their  spears  over  their  shoulders,  and  their 
swords  hanging  down ;  a  musket  too  was  slung  be¬ 
hind  the  saddle  of  each  warrior  ;  and  the  sharp 
dagger  of  Hareek  glittered  in  every  girdle.  Next 
came  the  common  soldiers  on  camels  or  dromeda¬ 
ries,  some  with  spears  only,  some  with  spears  and 
guns,  till  the  wide  square  was  filled  with  armed 
men  and  gazing  spectators,  as  the  whole  troop  drew 


262 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


up  before  the  great  autocrat,  and  Sa’ood  alighted 
to  bend  and  kiss  his  father’s  hand.  ‘God  save 
Feysul!  God  give  the  victory  to  the  armies  of  the 
Muslims !’  was  shouted  out  on  every  side,  and  all 
faces  kindled  into  the  fierce  smile  of  concentrated 
enthusiasm  and  conscious  strength.  Feysul  rose 
from  his  seat  and  placed  his  son  at  his  side  ;  an¬ 
other  moment,  and  they  entered  the  castle  together. 


CHAPTER  XY. 


PALGRAVES  TRAVELS — HIS  ESCAPE  TO  THE  EASTERN 

COAST. 

FOR  a  foreigner  to  enter  Ri’ad  is  not  always 
easy,  but  to  get  away  from  it  is  harder  still ; 
Reynard  himself  would  have  been  justly  shy  of 
venturing  on  this  royal  cave.  There  exists  in  the 
capital  of  Nedjed  two  approved  means  of  barring 
the  exit  against  those  on  whom  mistrust  may  have 
fallen.  The  first  and  readiest  is  that  of  which  it 
has  been  emphatically  said,  Stone-dead  hath  no 
felloio.  But  should  circumstances  render  the  bonds 
of  death  inexpedient,  the  bonds  of  Hymen  and  a 
Ri’ad  establishment  may  and  occasionally  do  supply 
their  office.  By  this  latter  proceeding,  the  more 
amiable  of  the  two,  Abdallah  resolved  to  enchain 
us. 

“  Accordingly,  one  morning  arrived  at  our  dwell¬ 
ing  an  attendant  of  the  palace,  with  a  smiling  face, 
presage  of  some  good  in  reserve,  and  many  fair 
speeches.  After  inquiries  about  our  health,  com¬ 
fort,  well-being,  etc.,  he  added  that  Abdallah 
thought  we  might  be  desirous  of  purchas.ng  this 


2G4 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


or  that,  and  begged  us  to  accept  of  a  small  present. 
It  was  a  fair  sum  of  money,  just  twice  so  much  as 
the  ordinary  token  of  good  will,  namely,  four  rials 
in  place  of  two-  After  which  the  messenger  took 
his  leave.  Aboo-’Eysa  had  been  present  at  the 
interview  :  c  Be  on  the  look-out,’  said  he,  ‘  there  is 
something  wrong.’ 

“  That  very  afternoon  Abdallah  sent  for  me, 
and  with  abundance  of  encomiums  and  of  promises, 
declared  that  he  could  not  think  of  letting  Bi’ad 
lose  so  valuable  a  physician,  that  I  must  accord¬ 
ingly  take  up  a  permanent  abode  in  the  capital, 
where  I  might  rely  on  his  patronage,  and  on  all 
good  things ;  that  he  had  already  resolved  on 
giving  me  a  house  and  a  garden,  specifying  them, 
with  a  suitable  household,  and  a  fair  face  to  keep 
me  company  ;  he  concluded  by  inviting  me  to  go 
without  delay  and  see  whether  the  new  abode  fitted 
me,  and  take  possession. 

“  Much  and  long  did  I  fight  off ;  talked  about  a 
winter  visit  to  the  coast,  and  coming  back  in  the 
spring ;  tried  first  one  pretext  and  then  another ; 
but  none  would  avail,  and  Abdallah  continued  to 
insist.  To  quiet  him,  I  consented  to  go  and  see 
the  house.  For  the  intended  Calypso,  I  had  ready 
an  argument  derived  from  Mahometan  law,  which 
put  her  out  of  the  question,  but  its  explanation 
would  require  more  space  than  these  pages  can 
afford. 

“  The  winter  season  was  now  setting  in  ;  it  was 
the  third  week  in  November;  and  a  thunder-storm 
the  liist  we  had  witnessed  in  Central  Arabia, 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


205 


ushered  in  a  marked  change  for  cold  in  the  tem¬ 
perature  of  Wady  Haneefah.  Rain  fell  abundan  y, 
and  sent  torrents  down  the  dry  watercourses  of  the 
valley,  changing  its  large  hollows  into  temporary 
tanks.  None  of  the  streams  showed,  however,  any 
disposition  to  reach  the  sea,  nor  indeed  could  they, 
for  this  part  of  Nedjed  is  entirely  hemmed  in  to 
the  east  by  the  Toweyk  range.  The  inhabitants 
welcomed  the  copious  showers,  pledges  of  fertility 
for  the  coming  year,  while  at  ’Oneyzah  the  same 
rains  produced  at  least  one  excellent  effect,  but 
which  I  may  well  defy  my  readers  to  guess.  The 
hostile  armies,  commanded  by  Zamil  and  Mo- 
hammed-ebn-Sa’ood,  were  drawn  up  in  face  of  each 
other,  and  on  the  point  of  fierce  conflict,  when  the 
storm  burst  on  them,  and  by  putting  out  the  lighted 
matchlocks  of  either  party,  prevented  the  discharge 
of  bullets  and  the  effusion  of  blood.” 

Abdallah,  who  hated  his  second  brother,  Sa’ood, 
and  had  many  other  fierce  enmities  in  the  capi¬ 
tal,  then  accidentally  learned  that  Palgrave  had 
employed  a  deadly  poison  (strycliine)  in  making  a 
remarkable  cure.  Thenceforth  all  his  powers  of 
persuasion  were  employed  in  endeavoring  to  pro¬ 
cure  some  of  the  drug ;  but  Palgrave,  suspecting 
his  real  design,  positively  refused  to  let  him  have 
any.  His  rage  was  suddenly  and  strongly  ex¬ 
pressed  on  his  countenance,  foreboding  no  good  to 
the  traveller,  who  took  the  first  opportunity  of 
returning  to  his  house. 

“  There  Aboo-’Eysa,  Barakat,  and  myself,”  he 
says,  “  immediately  held  council  to  consider  what 


2G6 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


was  now  to  be  done.  That  an  outbreak  must 
shortly  take  place  seemed  certain  ;  to  await  it  was 
dangerous,  yet  we  could  not  safely  leave  the  town 
in  an  over-precipitate  manner,  nor  without  some 
kind  of  permission.  We  resolved  together  to  go  on 
in  qu  et  and  caution  a  few  days  more,  to  sound  the 
court,  make  our  adieus  at  Fey sul’s  palace,  get  a 
good  word  from  Mahboob,  (no  difficult  matter,)  and 
then  slip  off  without  attracting  too  much  notice. 
But  our  destiny  was  not  to  run  so  smoothly/* 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  November, 
Palgrave  was  sum  roned  to  Abdallah’s  palace. 
The  messenger  refused  to  allow  Barakat  or  Aboo- 
’Eysa  to  accompany  him.  The  occasion  seemed 
portentous,  but  disobedience  was  out  of  the  ques¬ 
tion.  Palgrave  followed  the  messenger.  On  enter¬ 
ing  the  reception-room,  h  i  found  Abdallah,  Abd-el- 
Lateef,  the  successor  of  the  Wahabee,  Mahboob, 
and  a  few  others.  All  were  silent,  and  none  re¬ 
turned  his  first  salutation.  “  I  saluted  Abdallah,” 
says  Palgrave,  “  who  replied  in  an  undertone,  and 
gave  me  a  signal  to  sit  down  at  a  little  distance 
from  him,  but  on  the  same  side  of  the  divan.  My 
readers  may  suppose  that  I  was  not  at  the  moment 
ambitious  of  too  intimate  a  vicinity. 

“  After  an  interval  of  silence,  Abdallah  turned 
half  round  towards  me,  and  with  his  blackest  look 
and  a  deep  voice  said,  ‘  I  now  know  perfectly  well 
what  you  are  ;  you  are  no  doctors,  you  are  Chris¬ 
tians,  spies,  and  revolutionists,  come  hither  to  ruin 
our  religion  and  state  in  behalf  of  those  who  sent 
you.  The  penalty  for  such  as  you  is  death,  that 


ESCAPE  '  FROM  READ . 


267 


you  know,  and  X  am  determined  to  indict  it  without 
delay.’ 

“  ‘  Threatened  folks  live  long,’  thought  I,  and  had 
no  difficulty  in  showing  the  calm  which  I  really  felt. 
So  looking  him  coolly  in  the  face,  I  replied, 

‘  Istaghfir  \ Mali*  literally,  ‘Ask  pardon  of  God.’ 
This  is  the  phrase  commonly  addressed  to  one  who 
has  said  something  extremely  out  of  place. 

“  Tne  answer  was  unexpected  i  he  started,  and 

said,  £  Why  so  ?  ’ 

“  £  Because,’  I  rejoined,  £  you  have  just  now 
uttered  a  sheer  absurdity.  ‘  Christians,’  be  it  so  ; 
but  £  spies,’  £  revolutionists,’ — as  if  we  were  not 
known  by  everybody  in  your  town  for  quiet  doc¬ 
tors,  neither  more  nor  less !  And  then  to  talk 
about  putting  me  to  death !  You  cannot,  and  you 
dare  not.’ 

“  ‘  But  I  can  and  dare,’  answered  Abdallah, 
£  and  who  shall  prevent  me  ?  you  shall  soon  learn 
that  to  your  cost.’ 

“‘Neither  can  nor  dare,’ repeated  I.  ‘  We  are 
here  your  father’s  guests,  and  yours  for  a  month 
and  more,  known  as  such,  received  as  such.  What 
have  we  done  to  justify  a  breach  of  the  laws  of 
hospitality  in  Nedjed  ?  It  is  impossible  for  you  to 
do  what  you  say,’  continued  I,  thinking  the  while 
that  it  was  a  great  deal  too  possible  after  all ;  ‘  the 
obloquv  of  the  deed  would  be  too  much  for  you. 

“  He  remained  a  moment  thoughtful,  then  said, 
*  As  if  any  one  need  know  who  did  it.  I  have  the 
means,  and  can  dispose  of  you  without  talk  or 
rumor.  Those  who  are  at  my  bidding  can  take  a 


268 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


suitable  time  and  place  for  that,  without  my  name 
being  ever  mentioned  in  the  affair.’ 

“  The  advantage  was  now  evidently  on  my  side  ; 
I  followed  iu  up,  and  said  with  a  quiet  laugh, 
‘  Neither  is  that  within  your  power.  Am  I  not 
known  to  your  father,  to  all  in  his  palace  ?  to  your 
own  brother  Sa’ood  among  the  rest  ?  Is  not  the  fact 
of  this  my  actual  visit  to  you  known  without  your 
gates?  Or  is  there  no  one  here?’  added  I,  with  a 
glance  at  Mahboob,  ‘  who  can  report  elsewhere 
what  you  have  just  now  said  ?  Better  for  you  to 
leave  off  this  nonsense  ;  do  you  take  me  for  a  child 
of  four  days  old  ?  ’ 

“  He  muttered  a  repetition  of  his  threat.  £  Bear 
witness,  all  here  present,’  said  I,  raising  my  voice 
so  as  to  be  heard  from  one  end  of  the  room  to  the 
other,  ‘  that  if  any  mishap  befalls  my  companion 
or  myself  from  Bi’ad  to  the  shores  of  the  Persian 
Gulf,  it  is  all  Abdallah’s  doing.  And  the  conse¬ 
quences  shall  be  on  his  head,  worse  consequences 
than  he  expects  or  dreams.’ 

The  prince  made  no  reply.  All  were  silent ; 
Mahboob  kept  his  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the  fire¬ 
place  ;  Abd-el-Lateef  looked  much  and  said  noth¬ 
ing. 

Biing  coffee,  called  out  Abdallah  to  the 
seivants.  Before  a  minute  had  elapsed,  a  black 
slave  approached  with  one  and  only  one  coffee-cup 
in  his  hand.  At  a  second  sign  from  his  master  he 
came  before  me  and  presented  it. 

“  0f  course  the  worst  might  be  conjectured  of  so 
unusual  and  solitary  a  draught.  But  I  thought  it 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


269 


highly  improbable  that  matters  should  have  been 
so  accurately  prepared  ;  besides,  his  main  cause  of 
anger  was  precisely  the  refusal  of  poisons,  a  fact 
which  implied  that  he  had  none  by  him  ready  for 
use.  So  I  said,  ‘  Bismillah ,’  took  the  cup,  looked 
very  hard  at  Abdallah,  drank  it  off,  and  then  said 
to  the  slave,  ‘  Pour  me  out  a  second.’  This  he 
did  ;  I  swallowed  it,  and  said,  £  Now  you  may  take 
the  cup  away.’ 

“  The  desired  effect  was  fully  attained.  Abd¬ 
allah’s  face  announced  defeat,  while  the  rest  of  the 
assembly  whispered  together.  The  prince  turned 
to  ’Abd-el-Lateef  and  began  talking  about  the 
dangers  to  which  the  land  was  exposed  from  spies, 
and  the  wicked  designs  of  infidels  for  ruining  the 
kingdom  of  the  Muslims.  The  Kadee  and  his  com¬ 
panions  chimed  in,  and  the  story  of  a  pseudo- 
Darweesh  traveller  killed  at  Derey’eeyah,  and  of 
another,  (but  who  he  was  I  cannot  fancy  ;  perhaps 
a  Persian,  who  had,  said  Abdallah,  been  also 
recognized  for  an  intriguer,  but  had  escaped  to 
Mascat,  and  thus  baffled  the  penalty  due  to  his 
crimes,)  were  now  brought  forward  and  commented 
on.  Mahboob  now  at  last  spoke,  but  it  was  to 
ridicule  such  apprehensions.  *  The  thing  is  in 
itself  unlikely,’  said  he,  4  and  were  it  so  what 
harm  could  they  do  ?  ’  alluding  to  my  companion 
and  myself. 

“  On  this  I  took  up  the  word,  and  a  general  con¬ 
versation  ensued,  in  which  I  did  my  best  to  explode 
the  idea  of  spies  and  spymanship,  appealed  to  our 
own  quiet  and  inoffensive  conduct,  got  into  a 


270 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


virtuous  indignation  against  such  a  requital  of  evil 
for  good  after  all  the  services  which  wre  had  ren¬ 
dered  court  and  town,  and  quoted  verses  of  the 
Koran  regarding  the  wickedness  of  ungrounded 
suspicion,  and  the  obligation  of  not  judging  ill 
without  clear  evidence.  Abdallah  made  no  direct 
answer,  and  the  others,  whatever  they  may  have 
thought,  could  not  support  a  charge  abandoned  by 
their  master. 

“  What  amused  me  not  a  little,  was  that  the  Walia- 
bee  prince  had  after  all  very  nearly  hit  the  right 
nail  on  the  head,  and  that  I  was  snubbing  him  only 
for  having  guessed  too  well.  But  there  was  no 
help  for  it,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  that, 
though  at  heart  unchanged  in  his  opinion  about  us, 
he  was  yet  sufficiently  cowed  to  render  a  respite 
certain,  and  our  escape  thereby  practicable. 

“  This  kind  of  talk  continued  awhile,  and  I  pur¬ 
posely  kept  my  seat,  to  show  the  unconcern  of 
innocence,  till  Maliboob  made  me  a  sign  that  I 
might  safely  retire.  On  this  I  took  leave  of  Abd¬ 
allah  and  quitted  the  palace  unaccompanied.  It 
was  now  near  midnight,  not.  a  light  to  be  seen  in 
the  houses,  not  a  sound  to  be  heard  in  the  streets  ; 
the  sky  too  was  dark  and  overcast,  till,  for  the  first 
time,  a  feeling  of  lonely  dread  came  over  me,  and  I 
confess  that  more  than  once  I  turned  my  head  to 
look  and  see  if  no  one  was  following  with ‘evil,’ 
as  Arabs  say,  in  his  hand.  But  there  was  none, 
and  I  reached  the  quiet  alley  and  low  door  where  a 
gleam  through  the  chinks  announced  the  anxious 
watch  of  my  companions,  who  now  opened  the 


ESCAPE  FROM  RI'AD. 


271 


entrance,  overjoyed  at  seeing  me  back  sound  and 
safe  from  so  critical  a  parley. 

“  Our  plan  for  the  future  was  soon  formed.  A  day 
or  two  we  were  yet  to  remain  in  Iti’ad,  lest  haste 
should  seem  to  imply  fear,  and  thereby  encourage 
pursuit.  But  during  that  period  we  would  avoid 
the  palace,  out-walks  in  gardens  or  after  nightfall, 
and  keep  at  home  as  much  as  possible.  Mean¬ 
while  Aboo-’Eysa  was  to  get  his  dromedaries  ready, 
and  put  them  in  a  courtyard  immediately  adjoining 
the  house,  to  be  laden  at  a  moment’s  notice. 

“  A  band  of  travellers  was  to  leave  Iti’ad  for  Hasa 
a  few  days  later.  Aboo-’Eysa  gave  out  publicly 
that  he  would  accompany  them  to  Hofhoof,  while 
wre  were  supposed  to  intend  following  the  northern 
or  Sedeyr  track,  by  which  the  Na’ib,  after  many 
reciprocal  farewells  and  assurances  of  lasting  friend¬ 
ship,  should  we  ever  meet  again,  had  lately  de¬ 
parted.  Mobeyreek,  a  black  servant  in  Aboo- 
’Eysa’s  pay,  occupied  himself  diligently  in  feeding 
up  the  camels  for  their  long  march  with  clover  and 
vetches,  both  abundant  here  ;  and  we  continued  our 
medical  avocations,  but  quietly,  and  without  much 
leaving  the  house. 

“  During  the  afternoon  of  the  24th  we  brought 
three  of  Aboo-’Eysa’s  camels  into  our  courtyard,  shut 
the  outer  door,  packed  and  laded.  We  then  awaited 
the  moment  of  evening  prayer ;  it  came,  and  the 
voice  of  the  Mu’eddineen  summoned  all  good  Wa- 
liabees,  the  men  of  the  town-guard  not  excepted,  to 
the  different  mosques.  When  about  ten  minutes 
had  gone  by,  and  all  might  be  supposed  at  their 


272 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


prayers,  we  opened  our  door.  Mobeyreek  gave  a 
glance  up  and  down  the  street  to  ascertain*  that 
no  one  was  in  sight,  and  we  led  out  the  camels. 
Aboo-’Eysa  accompanied  us.  Avoiding  the  larger 
thoroughfares,  we  took  our  way  by  by-lanes  and 
side  passages  towards  a  small  town-gate,  the  nearest 
to  our  house,  and  opening  on  the  north.  A  late 
comer  fell  in  with  us  on  his  way  to  the  Mesjid,  and 
as  he  passed  summoned  us  also  to  the  public 
service.  But  Aboo-’Eysa  unhesitatingly  replied, 
‘  We  have  this  moment  come  from  prayers,’  and 
our  interlocutor,  fearing  to  be  himself  too  late  and 
thus  to  fall  under  reprehension  and  punishment, 
rushed  off  to  the  nearest  oratory,  leaving  the  road 
clear.  Nobody  was  in  watch  at  the  gate.  We 
crossed  its  threshold,  turned  southeast,  and  under 
the  rapid  twilight  reached  a  range  of  small  hillocks, 
behind  which  we  sheltered  ourselves  till  the  stars 
came  out,  and  the  ‘  wing  of  night,’  to  quote  Arab 
poets,  spread  black  over  town  and  country. 

“  So  far  so  good.  But  further  difficulties  remained 
before  us.  It  was  now  more  than  ever  absolutely 
essential  to  get  clear  of  Nedjed  unobserved,  to  put 
the  desert  between  us  and  the  Waliabee  court  and 
capital ;  and  no  less  necessary  was  it  that  Aboo- 
’Eysa,  so  closely  connected  as  he  was  with  Bi’ad 
and  its  government,  should  seem  nohow  impli¬ 
cated  in  our  unceremonious  departure,  nor  any  way 
concerned  with  our  onward  movements.  In  a  word, 
an  apparent  separation  of  paths  between  him  and  us 
was  necessary,  before  we  could  again  come  together 
and  complete  the  remainder  of  our  explorations. 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


273 


“  In  order  to  manage  this,  and  while  ensuring  our 
own  safety  to  throw  a  little  dust  in  Waliabee  eyes, 
it  was  agreed  that  before  next  morning’s  sunrise 
Aboo-’Eysa  should  return  to  the  town,  and  to  his 
dwelling,  as  though  nothing  had  occurred,  and 
should  there  await  the  departure  of  the  great  mer¬ 
chant  caravan,  mentioned  previously,  and  composed 
mainly  of  men  from  Hasa  and  Kateef,  now  bound 
for  Hofhoof.  This  assemblage  was  expected  to  start 
within  three  days  at  latest.  Meanwhile  our  friend 
should  take  care  to  show  himself  openly  in  the  pal¬ 
aces  of  Feysul  and  Abdallah,  and  if  asked  about 
us  should  answer  vaguely,  with  the  off-hand  air  of 
one  who  had  no  further  care  regarding  us.  We 
ourselves  should  in  the  interim  make  the  best  of  our 
way,  with  Mobeyreek  for  guide,  to  Wady  Soley’,  and 
there  remain  concealed  in  a  given  spot,  till  Aboo- 
Eysa  should  come  and  pick  us  up. 

“  All  this  was  arranged  ;  at  break  of  dawn,  Aboo- 
Eysa  took  his  leave,  and  Barakat,  Mobeyreek,  and 
myself  were  once  more  high  perched  on  our  dromeda- 
lies,  their  heads  turned  to  the  southeast,  keeping  the 
hillock  range  between  us  and  Bi’ad,  which  we  saw  no 
more.  Our  path  led  us  over  low  undulating 
ground,  a  continuation  of  Wady  Haneefali,  till  after 
about  four  hours’  march  we  were  before  the  gates 
of  Manfoohah,  a  considerable  town,  surrounded  by 
gardens  nothing  inferior  in  extent  and  fertility  to 
those  of  Bi’ad ;  but  its  fortifications,  once  strong, 
have  long  since  been  dismantled  and  broken  down 
by  the  jealousy  of  the  neighboring  capital. 

After  winding  here  and  there,  we  reached  the  spot 


274 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


assigned  by  Aboo-’Eysa  for  our  liiding-place.  It 
was  a  small  sandy  depth,  lying  some  way  off  the 
beaten  track,  amid  hillocks  and  brushwood,  and 
without  water  ;  of  this  latter  article  we  had  taken 
enough  in  the  goat-skins  to  last  us  lor  tlnee  da^s. 
Here  we  halted,  and  made  up  our  minds  to  patience, 
and  expectation. 

“  Two  days  passed  drearily  enough.  We  could  not 
but  long  for  our  guide’s  arrival,  nor  be  wholly  with¬ 
out  fear  on  more  than  one  score.  Once  or  twice  a 
stray  peasant  stumbled  on  us,  and  was  much  sur¬ 
prised  at  our  encampment  in  so  droughty  a  locality. 
Sometimes  leaving  our  dromedaries  crouching  down, 
and  concealed  among  the  shrubs,  we  wandered  up 
the  valley,  climbed  the  high  chalky  cliffs  of  Toweyk, 
to  gain  a  distant  glimpse  of  the  blue  siena  of  Iia- 
reek  in  the  far  south,  and  the  white  ranges  of 
Toweyk  north  and  east.  Or  we  dodged  the  nume¬ 
rous  nor  over-sliy  herds  of  gazelles,  not  for  any 
desire  of  catching  them,  but  simply  to  pass  the  time 
and  distract  the  mind  weary  of  conjecture.  So  the 
hours  went  by,  till  the  third  day  brought  closer  ex¬ 
pectation  and  anxiety,  still  increasing  while  the  sun 
declined,  and  at  last  went  down  ;  yet  nobody  ap¬ 
peared.  But  just  as  darkness  cl  >sed  in,  and  we 
were  sitting  in  a  dispirited  group  beside  our  little 
lire,  for  the  night  air  blew  chill,  Aboo-’Eysa  came 
suddenly  up,  and  all  was  changed  for  question  and 
answer,  for  cheerfulness  and  laughter. 

“  Early  on  November  28th  we  resumed  our  march 
through  a  light  valley-mist,  and  soon  fell  in  with  our 
companions  of  the  road.  The  first  day  led  us  out 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


275 


of  Wady  Soley.’  We  traversed  the  outsorting  plan¬ 
tations  of  Salemee’yah,  a  large  fortified  village. 
Much  to  my  regret,  our  caravan  passed  on  without 
halting,  and  soon  after,  turning  a  little  to  the  north, 
we  entered  a  long  gorge  cleft  in  the  limestone  wall 
of  Toweyk,  and  mounted  for  about  three  hundred 
feet  till  we  came  on  a  high  broad  steppe,  where  a 
scanty  pasturage,  just  enough  to  brown  the  chalky 
soil  here  and  there,  maintained  a  few  herds  of  sheep¬ 
like  goats,  or  goat-like  sheep;  while  the  dreary 
ascents  and  descents  reminded  me  of  scenes  in 
Scotland,  save  that  fir  and  pine  were  here  wanting. 
We  were  long  in  traversing  this  waste,  until  towards 
evening  we  came  on  a  patch  of  greener  soil,  and  a 
cluster  of  wells,  the  Lakey’yat  by  name,  and  here  we 
encamped  for  a  very  cold  night. 

“  Next  morning  the  whole  country,  hill  and  dale, 
trees  and  bushes,  was  wrapped  in  a  thick  blanket  of 
mist,  fitter  for  Surrey  than  for  Arabia.  So  dense 
was  the  milky  fog,  that  we  fairly  lost  our  way,  and 
went  on  at  random,  shouting  and  hallooing,  driving 
our  beasts  now  here,  now  there,  over  broken  ground 
and  amid  tangling  shrubs,  till  the  sun  gained 
strength,  and  the  vapor  cleared  off,  showing  us  the 
path  at  some  distance  on  our  right.  Before  we  had 
followed  it  far,  we  saw  a  black  mass  advancing  from 
the  east  to  meet  us.  It  was  the  first  division  of  the 
Hasa  troops  on  their  way  to  Bi’ad  ;  they  were  not 
less  than  four  or  five  hundred  in  number.  Like  true 
Arabs,  they  marched  with  a  noble  contempt  of 
order  and  discipline — walking,  galloping,  ambling, 
singing,  shouting,  alone  or  in  bands,  as  fancy  led ; 


276 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


We  interchanged  a  few  words  of  greeting  with  those 
brisk  boys,  who  avowed,  without  hesitation  or 
shame,  that  they  should  much  have  preferred  to 
stay  at  home,  and  that  enforced  necessity,  not  any 
military  or  religious  ardor,  was  taking  them  to  the 
field.  We  laughed,  and  wished  them  Zamil’s  head, 
or  him  theirs,  whereon  they  laughed  also,  shouted, 
and  passed  on. 

“  Whilst  hereabouts,  we  caught  a  magnificent 
southward  view  of  the  Hareek,  to  which  we  were 
now  opposite,  though  separated  from  it  by  a  streak 
of  desert.  Its  hills  lie  east  and  west  in  a  ragged  and 
isolated  chain,  which  was  apparently  sixty  miles  or 
more  in  length.  Thus  girdled  by  the  desert,  Ha¬ 
reek  must  needs  be  a  very  hot  district ;  indeed,  its 
name  (literally,  *  burning’)  implies  no  less,  and  the 
dusky  tint  of  its  inhabitants  confirms  the  fact.  We 
could  not  at  such  a  distance  distinguish  any  towns 
or  castles  in  particular  ;  only  the  situation  of  the  cap¬ 
ital,  Hootah,  was  pointed  out  to  us  by  the  knowing 
ones  of  our  band.  It  was  curious  also  to  see  how 
suddenly,  almost  abruptly,  Djebel  Toweyk  ended  in 
the  desert,  going  down  in  a  rapid  series  of  precipi¬ 
tous  steps,  the  last  of  which  plunges  sheer  into  the 
waste  of  sand.  Toweyk  is  here  mainly  limestone, 
but  in  some  spots  iron  ore  is  to  be  found,  in  some 
copper  ;  Aboo-’Eysa  pointed  out  to  us  a  hill,  the 
appearance  of  which  promised  the  latter  metal. 

“  On  we  went,  but  through  a  country  of  much 
more  varied  scenery  than  what  we  had  traversed 
the  day  before,  enjoying  the  ‘  pleasure  situate  in 
hill  and  dale,’  till  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  high 


ESCAPE  FROM  BEAD. 


277 


white  cliff,  almost  like  that  of  Dover  \  but  these 
crags,  instead  of  having  the  sea  at  their  foot,  over¬ 
looked  a  wide  valley  full  of  trees,  and  bearing 
traces  of  many  violent  winter  torrents  from  east  to 
west ;  none  were  now  flowing.  Here  we  halted,  and 
passed  an  indifferent  night,  much  annoyed  by  ‘  chill 
November’s  surly  blast,’  hardly  less  ungenial  here 
than  on  the  banks  of  Ayr,  though  sweeping  over  a 
latitude  of  25°,  not  56°. 

“  Before  the  starlight  had  faded  from  the  cold 
morning  sky,  we  were  up  and  in  movement,  for  a 
long  inaicli  was  before  us.  After  a  little  parleying, 
so  to  speak,  with  the  mountain,  we  climbed  it  by  a 
steep  winding  path,  hard  of  ascent  to  the  camels,  of 
whom  Arabs  report  that  when  asked  which  they  like 
best,  going  up  hill  or  going  down,  they  answer,  ‘  A 
curse  light  on  them  both.’  At  sunrise  we  stood  on 
the  last,  and  here  the  highest  ledge  of  Toweyk,  that 
long  chalky  wall  which  bounds  and  backs  up  Ned- 
jed  on  the  east ;  beyond  is  the  desert,  and  then  the 
coast.  The  view  now  opened  to  us  was  very  exten¬ 
sive,  and  the  keen  air  made  all  the  more  sensible 
our  elevation  above  the  far-off  plains,  that  hence 
showed  like  a  faintly-ribbed  sea-surface  to  the  west. 
Neithei  man  nor  beast,  tree  nor  shrub,  appeared 
around ;  marl  and  pebbles  formed  the  jDlateau,  all 
diy  and  dreary  under  a  cold  wind  and  a  hot  sun. 

After  about  three  hours  of  level  route  we  began 
to  descend,  not  rapidly,  but  by  degrees,  and  at  noon 
we  leached  a  singular  depression,  a  huge  natural 
basin,  liollowed  out  in  the  limestone  rock,  with 
t lacks  lesembling  deep  trenches  leading  to  it  from 


278 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


every  side.  At  tlie  bottom  of  this  crater-like  valley 
were  a  dozen  or  more  wells,  so  abundant  in  their 
supply  that  they  not  unfrequently  overflow  the 
whole  space,  and  form  a  small  lake  ;  the  water  is 
clear  and  good,  but  no  other  is  to  be  met  with  on 
the  entire  line  hence  to  Hasa. 

“  For  the  rest  of  the  day  we  continued  steadily  to 
descend  the  broad  even  slope,  whose  extreme  bar¬ 
renness  and  inanimate  monotony  reminded  me  of 
the  pebbly  uplands  near  Ma’an  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  peninsula,  traversed  by  us  exactly  seven 
months  before.  The  sun  set,  night  came  on,  and 
many  of  the  travellers  would  gladly  have  halted, 
but  Aboo-’Eysa  insisted  on  continuing  the  march. 
We  were  now  many  hundred  feet  lower  than  the 
crest  behind  us,  and  the  air  felt  warm  and  heavy, 
when  we  noticed  that  the  ground,  hitherto  hard  be¬ 
neath  our  fe^t,  was  changing  step  by  step  into  a 
light  sand,  that  seemed  to  encroach  on  the  rocky 
soil.  It  was  at  first  a  shallow  ripple,  then  deepened, 
and  before  long  presented  the  well  known  ridges  and 
undulations  characteristic  of  the  land  ocean  when 
several  fathoms  in  depth.  Our  beasts  ploughed  la¬ 
boriously  on  through  the  yielding  surface  ;  the  night 
was  dark,  but  starry,  and  we  could  just  discern 
amid  the  shade  a  white  glimmer  of  spectral  sand¬ 
hills,  rising  around  us  on  every  side,  but  no  track 
or  indication  of  a  route. 

“  It  was  the  great  Dahna,  or  ‘  Fed  Desert,’  the 
bugbear  of  even  the  wandering  Bedouin,  and  never 
traversed  by  ordinary  wayfarers  without  an  appre¬ 
hension  which  has  too  often  1  een  justified  by  iatal 


ESCAPE  FROM  RI'AD. 


279 


incidents.  So  light  are  the  sands,  so  capricious  the 
breezes  that  .shape  and  reshape  them  daily  into  un¬ 
stable  hills  and  valleys,  that  no  traces  of  preceding 
travellers  remain  to  those  who  follow  ;  while  intense 
heat  and  glaring  light  reflected  on  all  sides  combine 
with  drought  and  weariness  to  confuse  and  bewilder 
the  adventurer,  till  he  loses  his  compass  and  wan¬ 
ders  up  and  down  at  random  amid  a  waste  solitude 
which  soon  becomes  his  grave.  Many  have  thus 
perished  ;  even  whole  caravans  have  been  known  to 
disappear  in  the  Dahua  without  a  vestige ;  till  the 
wild  Arab  tales  of  demons  carrying  off  wanderers, 
or  gliouls  devouring  them,  obtain  a  half  credit 
among  many  accustomed  elsewhere  to  laugh,  at 
such  fictions. 

“For,  after  about  three  hours  of  night  travelling, 
or  rather  wading,  among  the  sand-waves,  till  men 
and  beasts  alike  were  ready  to  sink  for  weariness,  a 
sharp  altercation  arose  between  Aboo-’Eysa  and  El- 
Ghannam,  each  proposing  a  different  direction  of 
march.  We  all  halted  a  moment,  and  raised  our 
eyes,  heavy  with  drowsiness  and  fatigue,  as  if  to  see 
which  of  the  contending  parties  was  in  the  right. 
It  will  be  long  before  I  forget  the  impression  of  that 
moment.  Above  us  was  the  deep  black  sky, 
spangled  with  huge  stars  of  a  brilliancy  denied  to 
all  but  an  Arab  gaze,  while  what  is  elsewhere  a  ray 
of  the  third  magnitude  becomes  here  of  the  first 
amid  the  pure  vacuum  of  a  mistless,  vaporless  air ; 
around  us  loomed  high  ridges,  shutting  us  in  before 
and  behind  with  their  white  ghost-like  outlines  ;  be¬ 
low  our  feet  the  lifeless  sand,  and  everywhere  a 


280 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


silence  that  seemed  to  belong  to  some  strange  and 
dreamy  world  where  man  might  not  venture. 

“  Next  morning  we  resumed  our  course,  but  now 
under  the  sole  guidance  of  Aboo-’Eysa,  to  whom 
our  band,  confiding  in  his  superior  conversance  with 
this  wild  region,  had  unanimously  agreed  to  entrust 
themselves  till  we  should  reach  the  opposite  bank. 

'  How  our  leader  contrived  to  direct  his  steps  would 
be  hard  to  tell ;  the  faculty  of  keeping  one’s  nose  in 
the  right  direction,  when  neither  eyes  nor  ears  can 
afford  any  assistance,  is,  I  suppose,  one  of  the  many 
latent  powers  of  human  nature,  only  to  be  brought 
out  by  circumstance  and  long  exercise.  When  not 
far  from  the  midmost  of  the  Dahna,  we  fell  in  with 
a  few  Bedouins,  belonging  to  the  Aal-Morrah  clan, 
sole  tenants  of  this  desert ;  they  were  leading  their 
goats  to  little  spots  of  scattered  herbage  and  shrubs 
which  here  and  there  fix  a  precarious  existence  in 
the  hollows  of  the  sands. 

“  Theirs  is  the  great  desert  from  Nedjed  to  Had- 
ramaut.  Not  that  they  actually  cover  this  immense 
space,  a  good  fourth  of  the  peninsula,  but  that  they 
have  the  free  and  undisputed  range  of  the  oases 
which  it  occasionally  offers,  where  herbs,  shrubs, 
and  dwarf-palms  cluster  round  some  well  of  scant 
and  briny  water.  These  oases  are  sufficiently 
numerous  to  preserve  a  stray  Bedouin  or  two  from 
perishing,  though  not  enough  so  to  become  land¬ 
marks  for  any  regular  route  across  the  central 
Dahna,  from  the  main  body  of  which  runs  out  the 
long  and  broad  arm  which  we  were  now  traversing. 

“  Another  night’s  bivouac,  and  then  again  over 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


281 


the  white  down-sloping  plain.  At  last  a  change  en 
sued :  abruptly  chalky  hills  and  narrow  gorges 
bounded  our  way,  till  at  the  bottom  of  a  hollow  we 
came  on  a  large  solitary  tree,  with  more  thorns  than 
leaves,  and  in  hermit  loneliness. 

“  A  little  farther  on  we  entered  the  great  valley, 
known  by  the  name  of  Wady  Farook,  which,  like 
all  other  leading  geographical  features  of  this  re¬ 
gion,  whether  mountain  or  plain,  runs  from  north  to 
south.  We  descended  into  this  valley  about  noon, 
crossed  it  not  altogether  without  anxiety,  and  near 
sunset  climbed  the  opposite  bank,  and  began  to 
thread  the  coast-range  of  Hasa.  These  hills  attain, 
after  my  very  rough  observations,  about  fourteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  about  four 
hundred  above  the  desert  on  the  west,  which  would 
thus  be  itself  about  a  thousand  feet  higher  than  the 
coast.  Their  sides  are  often  eaten  out  into  caverns, 
and  their  whole  look  is  fanciful  and  desolate  in  the 
extreme. 

“  dt  was  now  three  days  and  a  half  since  our  last 
supply  of  water,  and  Aboo-’Eysa  was  anxious  to 
reach  the  journey’s  end  without  delay.  As  darkness 
closed  around  we  reached  the  furthermost  heights. 
Hence  we  overlooked  the  plains  of  Hasa,  but  could 
distinguish  nothing  through  the  deceptive  rays  of 
the  rising  moon ;  we  seemed  to  gaze  into  a  vast 
milky  ocean.  After  an  hour’s  halt  for  supper,  we 
wandered  on,  now  up,  now'  down,  over  pass  and 
crag,  till  a  long  corkscrew  descent  down  the  precipi¬ 
tous  sea-side  of  the  mountain  for  a  thousand  feet 
or  near  it,  placed  us  fairly  upon  the  low  level  of 


282 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA 


Hasa,  and  within  the  warm  damp  air  of  the  sea- 
coast. 

“  The  ground  glimmered  white  to  the  moon,  and 
gave  a  firm  footing  to  our  dromedaries,  who,  bj 
their  renewed  agility,  seemed  to  partake  in  the  joy 
of  their  riders,  and  to  understand  that  rest  was  near. 
We  were,  in  fact,  all  so  eager  to  find  ourselves  at 
home  and  homestead,  that  although  the  town  of 
Hofhoof,  our  destined  goal,  was  yet  full  fifteen 
miles  to  the  northeast,  we  pressed  on  for  the  capital. 
And  there,  in  fact,  we  should  have  all  arrived  in  a 
body  before  day-dawn,  had  not  a  singular  occur¬ 
rence  retarded  by  far  the  greater  number  of  our 
companions. 

“  Soon  after,  the  crags  in  our  rear  had  shut  out, 
perhaps  for  years,  perhaps  forever,  the  desert  and 
Central  Arabia  from  our  view,  while  before  and 
around  us  lay  the  indistinct  undulations  and  uncer¬ 
tain  breaks  of  the  great  Hasa  plain,  when  on  a 
sloping  bank  at  a  short  distance  in  front  we  dis¬ 
cerned  certain  large  black  patches,  in  strong  contrast 
with  the  white  glister  of  the  soil  around,  and  at  the 
same  time  our  attention  was  attracted  by  a  strange 
whizzing  like  that  of  a  flight  of  hornets,  close  along 
the  ground,  while  our  dromedaries  capered  and 
started  as  though  struck  with  sudden  insanity.  The 
cause  of  all  this  was  a  vast  swarm  of  locusts,  here 
alighted  in  their  northerly  wanderings  from  their 
birthplace  in  the  Dalina ;  their  camp  extended  far 
and  wide,  and  we  had  already  disturbed  their  out¬ 
posts.  These  insects  are  wont  to  settle  on  the 
ground  after  sunset,  and  there,  half  stupefied  by  the 


ESCAPE  FROM  READ. 


283 


aiglit  cliill,  to  await  the  morning  rays,  which  warm 
them  once  more  into  life  and  movement.  This  time 
our  dromedaries  did  the  work  of  the  sun,  and  it 
would  be  hard  to  say  which  of  the  two  were  the 
most  frightened,  they  or  the  locusts.  It  was  truly 
laughable  to  see  so  huge  a  beast  lose  his  wits  for 
fear  at  the  flight  of  a  harmless,  stingless  insect ;  of 
all  timid  creatures  none  equals  the  ‘  ship  of  the 
desert  ’  for  cowardice. 

‘  The  swarm  now  before  us  was  a  thorough  god¬ 
send  for  our  Arabs,  on  no  account  to  be  neglected. 
Thirst,  weariness,  all  was  forgotten,  and  down  the 
riders  leapt  from  their  starting  camels ;  this  one 
spread  out  a  cloak,  that  one  a  saddle-bag,  a  third 
his  shirt,  over  the  unlucky  creatures  destined  for  the 
morrow’s  meal.  Some  flew  away  whirring  across 
our  feet,  others  wrere  caught  and  tied  up  in  cloths 
and  sacks ;  Cornish  wreckers  at  work  about  a 
shattered  East  Indiaman  would  be  beaten  by  Ghan- 
nam  and  his  companions  with  the  locusts.  How¬ 
ever,  Barakat  and  myself  felt  no  special  interest  in 
the  chase,  nor  had  we  much  desire  to  turn  our  dress 
and  accoutrements  into  receptacles  for  living  game. 
Luckily  Aboo-’Eysa  still  retained  enough  of  his 
North  Syrian  education  to  be  of  our  mincL-also.  Ac¬ 
cordingly  w7e  left  our  associates  hard  at  work,  turned 
our  startled  and  still  unruly  dromedaries  in  the 
direction  of  Hofhoof,  and  set  off  full  speed  over  the 
plain. 

“  It  was  not  till  near  morning  that  we  saw7  before 
us  in  indistinct  row  the  long  black  lines  of  the  im¬ 
mense  date-groves  that  surround  Hofhoof.  Then, 


284 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


winding  on  amid  rice  grounds  and  cornfields,  we  left 
on  our  right  an  isolated  fort,  (to  be  described  by 
daylight,)  passed  some  scattered  villas,  with  their 
gardens,  approached  the  ruined  town  walls,  and 
entered  the  southern  gate,  now  open  and  unguarded. 
Fai ther  on  a  few  streets  brought  us  before  the  door 
of  Aboo-’Eysa’s  house,  our  desired  resting-place. 

“  was  still  night.  All  was  silent  in  the  street 
and  house,  at  the  entrance  of  which  we  now  stood  j 
indeed,  none  but  the  master  of  a  domicile  could 
think  of  knocking  at  such  an  hour,  nor  was  Aboo- 
’Eysa  expected  at  that  precise  moment.  With  much 
difficulty  he  contrived  to  awake  the  tenants  ;  next 
the  sin  ill  voice  ol  the  lady  was  heard  within  in 
accents  of  joy  and  welcome ;  the  door  at  last 
opened,  and  Aboo-’Eysa  invited  us  into  a  dark  pas- 
sage,  where  a  gas-light  would  have  been  a  remark¬ 
able  improvement,  and  by  this  ushered  us  into  the 
k’hawah.  Here  we  lighted  a  fire,  and  after  a  hasty 
refreshment  all  lay  down  to  sleep,  nor  awoke  till  the 
following  forenoon. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 


PALGEAYE’s  TRAVELS. — EASTERN  ARABIA.— CON¬ 
CLUSION. 


OUR  stay  at  Hofhoof  was  very  pleasant  and 
interesting,  not  indeed  through  personal  inci¬ 
dents  and  hairbreadth  escapes — of  which  we  had 


our  fair  portion  at  Ri’ad  and  elsewhere — but  in  the 
information  here  acquired,  and  in  the  novel  charac¬ 
ter  of  everything  around  us,  whether  nature,  art,  or 
man.  Aboo-’Eysa  was  very  anxious  that  we  should 
see  as  much  as  possible  of  the  country,  and  procured 
us  all  means  requisite  for  so  doing,  while  the  shelter 
of  his  roof,  and  the  precautions  which  he  adopted 
or  suggested,  obviated  whatever  dangers  and  incon¬ 
veniences  we  had  experienced  in  former  stages  of 
the  journey.  Besides,  the  general  disposition  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Hasa  is  very  different  from  that  met 
with  in  Nedjed,  and  even  in  Sliomer  or  Djowf,  and 
much  better  adapted  to  make  a  stranger  feel  himself 
at  home.  A  sea-coast  people,  looking  mainly  to 
foreign  lands  and  the  ocean  for  livelihood  and  com¬ 
merce,  accustomed  to  see  among  them  not  un fre¬ 
quently  men  of  dress,  manners,  and  religion  differ¬ 
ing  from  their  own,  many  of  them  themselves  tra- 


286 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


vellers  or  voyagers  to  Basrah,  Bagdad,  Bahreyn, 
Oman,  and  some  even  farther,  they  are  commonly 
free  from  that  half-wondering,  half- suspicious  feel¬ 
ing  which  the  sight  of  a  stranger  occasions  in  the 
isolated,  desert-girded  centre  ;  in  short,  experience, 
that  best  of  masters,  has  gone  far  to  unteacli 
the  lessons  of  ignorance,  intolerance,  and  national 
aversion. 

Hof  hoof,  whose  ample  circuit  contained  during 
the  last  generation  about  thirty  thousand  inhabi¬ 
tants,  now  dwindled  to  twenty-three  or  twenty-four 
thousand,  is  divided  into  three  quarters  or  districts. 
‘The  general  form  of  the  town  is  that  of  a  large  oval. 
The  public  square,  an  oblong  space  of  about  three 
hundred  yards  in  length  by  a  fourth  of  the  same  in 
width,  occupies  the  meeting  point  of  these  quarters  ; 
the  Kot  lies  on  its  northeast,  the  Bifey’eeyali  on  the 
northwest  and  west,  and  the  Na’athar  on  the  east 
and  south.  In  this  last  quarter  was  our  present 
home  ;  moreover,  it  stood  in  the  part  farthest 
removed  from  the  Kot  and  its  sinister  influences, 
while  it  was  also  sufficiently  distant  from  the  over- 
turbulent  neighborhood  of  the  Bifey’eeyah,  the 
centre  of  anti-Wahabee  movements,  and  the  name 
of  which  alone  excited  distrust  and  uneasiness  in 
Ned  jean  minds. 

“  The  Kot  itself  is  a  vast  citadel,  surrounded  by  a 
deep  trench,  with  walls  and-  towers  of  unusual 
height  and  thickness,  earth-built  with  an  occasional 
intermixture  of  stone,  the  work  of  the  old  Carma- 
tliian  rulers  ;  it  is  nearly  square,  being  about  one 
third  of  a  mile  in  length  by  one  quarter  in  breadth. 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


287 


Three  sides  of  this  fortress  are  provided  each  with 
a  central  gate ;  on  the  fourth  or  northern  side  a 
small  but  strong  fortress  forms  a  sort  of  keep  ;  it  is 
square,  and  its  towers  attain  more  than  forty  feet  in 
elevation,  or  about  sixty,  if  we  reckon  from  the 
bottom  of  the  outer  ditch. 

“  The  towers,  fifteen  or  sixteen  on  each  side  of 
the  Kot,  are  mostly  round,  and  provided  with  wind¬ 
ing  stairs,  loopholes,  and  machicolations  below  the 
battlements ;  the  intervening  walls  have  similar 
means  of  defence.  The  trench  without  is  for  the 
greatest  part  dry,  but  can  be  filled  with  water  from 
the  garden  wells  beyond  when  occasion  requires  ; 
the  portals  are  strong  and  well  guarded. 

“  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  square,  and  conse¬ 
quently  belonging  to  the  Rifey’eeyah,  is  the  vaulted 
market-place,  or  ‘  Keysareeyah,’  a  name  by  which 
constructions  of  this  nature  must  henceforth  be 
called  up  to  Mascat  itself,  though  how  this  Latinism 
found  its  way  across  the  peninsula  to  lands  which 
seem  to  have  had  so  little  commerce  with  the  Roman 
or  Byzantine  empires,  I  cannot  readily  conjecture. 
This  Keysareeyah  is  in  form  a  long  barrel-vaulted 
arcade,  with  a  portal  at  either  end ;  the  folding 
doors  that  should  protect  the  entrances  have  here  in 
Hoflioof  been  taken  away,  elsewhere  they  are  always 
to  be  found.  The  sides  are  composed  of  shops,  set 
apart  in  general  for  wares  of  cost,  or  at  least  what 
is  here  esteemed  costly  ;  thus  weapons,  cloth  em¬ 
broidery,  gold  and  silver  ornament,  and  analogous 
articles,  are  the  ordinary  stock-in-hand  in  the  Key¬ 
sareeyah.  Around  it  cluster  several  alleys,  roofed 


288 


TEA  VELS  IN  AEABIA. 


with  palm-leaves  against  the  heat,  and  tolerably 
symmetrical ;  in  the  shops  we  may  see  the  merchan¬ 
dise  of  Bahreyn,  Oman,  Persia,  and  India  exposed 
for  sale,  mixed  with  the  manufactured  produce  of 
the  country ;  workshops,  smithies,  carpenters’  and 
shoemakers’  stalls,  and  the  like,  are  here  also.  In 
the  open  square  itself  stand  countless  booths  for 
the  sale  of  dates,  vegetables,  wood,  salted  locusts, 
and  small  ware  of  many  kinds. 

“  The  Bifey’eeyah,  or  noble  quarter,  covers  a  con¬ 
siderable  extent,  and  is  chiefly  composed  of  tolerable, 
in  some  places  of  even  handsome,  dwellings.  The 
comparative  elegance  of  domestic  architecture  in 
Hofhoof  is  due  to  the  use  of  the  arch,  which,  after 
the  long  interval  from  Ma’an  to  Hasa,  now  at  last 
reappears,  and  gives  to  the  constructions  of  this 
province  a  lightness  and  a  variety  unknown  in  the 
monotonous  and  heavy  piles  of  Nedjed  and  Sliomer. 
Another  improvement  is  that  the  walls,  whether  of 
earth  or  stone,  or  of  both  mixed,  as  is  often  the 
case,  are  here  very  generally  coated  with  fine  white 
plaster,  much  resembling  the  ‘  cliunam  ’  of  Southern 
India  ;  ornament,  too,  is  aimed  at  about  the  door¬ 
ways  and  the  ogee-headed  windows,  and  is  some¬ 
times  attained. 

“  The  Na’athar  is  the  largest  quarter  ;  it  forms, 
indeed,  a  good  half  of  the  town,  and  completes  its 
oval.  In  it  every  description  of  dwelling  is  to  be 
seen — for  rich  and  poor,  for  high  and  low,  palace  or 
hovel.  Here,  too,  but  near  the  Kot,  has  the  pious 
policy  of  Feysul  constructed  the  great  mosque. 

“  Tne  fortifications  oi  the  town  were  once  strong 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


289 


and  high,  but  are  now  little  better  than  heaps  of 
ruins — of  broken  towers  and  winding  stairs  that  lead 
to  nothing.  ithout  the  walls  lie  the  gardens  and 
plantations,  stretching  away  north  and  east  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach ;  on  the  south  and  west  they 
form  a  narrower  ring.  North  and  east  of  Hofhoof 
is  one  green  mass  of  waving  foliage,  save  where 
occasionally  the  overflowing  water-channels  present 
that  phenomenon  specially  dear  in  reminiscences  to 
an  east-country  Englishman,  namely,  a  real  genuine 
marsh,  with  reeds,  rushes,  and  long-legged  water- 
fowl.  Heaven  bless  them  all !  I  cannot  say  how 
glad  I  was  to  see  them  after  so  long  a  separation  ; 
while  around  the  rim  of  the  swamps  and  pools  rise 
stately  palm-trees,  laden  with  the  choicest  dates  of 
Arabia,  or  rather  of  the  entire  world.  A  solitary 
conical  hillock,  the  freak  of  nature,  rises  alone  on 
the  noitheast  from  the  level  of  this  well-watered 
plain  ;  its  summit  bears  the  vestiges  of  Carmathian 
foi titication.  These  details  have,  I  trust,  given  my 
readeis  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  town  of  Hofhoof  and 
its  immediate  neighborhood.  Its  general  asj)ect  is 
that  of  a  white  and  yellow  onyx,  chased  in  an 
emerald  rim  ;  the  name  of  c  Hofhoof,’  like  the  Win¬ 
chester  of  our  own  island,  implies  glitter  and 
beauty. 

“  But  perhaps  my  reader,  after  accompanying  me 
thus  far,  may  feel  thirsty,  for  the  heat,  even  in  De¬ 
cember,  is  almost  oppressive,  'and  the  sky  cloudless, 
as  though  it  were  June  or  July.  So  let  us  turr 
aside  into  that  grassy  plantation,  where  half-a-dozei 
buflaloes  are  cooling  their  ugly  hides  in  a  pool,  ana 


290 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


drink  a  little  from  the  source  that  supplies  it.  When 
behold  !  the  water  is  warm,  almost  hot.  Do  not  bo 
surprised  ;  all  the  fountain  sources  and  wells  of  Hasa 
are  so,  more  or  less ;  in  some,  one  can  hardly  bear 
to  plunge  one’s  hand  ;  others  are  less  above  the 
average  temperature,  while  a  decidedly  sulphurous 
taste  is  now  and  then  perceptible.  In  fact,  from  the 
extreme  north  of  this  province  down  to  its  southern¬ 
most  frontier,  this  same  sign  of  subterranean  lire  is 
everywhere  to  be  found.  The  rocks,  too,  ale  here 
very  frequently  of  tufa  and  basalt,  anothei  maik  of 
igneous  agency. 

“  The  products  of  Hasa  are  many  and  various  ; 
the  monotony  of  Arab  vegetation,  its  eternal  palm 
and  ithel,  ithel  and  palm,  are  here  varied  by  new 
foliage,  and  growths  unknown  to  Nedjed  and  Sho- 
mer.  True,  the  date-palm  still  predominates,  nay, 
here  attains  its  greatest  perfection.  But  the  nabak, 
with  its  rounded  leaves  and  little  crab-apple  fruit,  a 
mere  bush  in  Central  Arabia,  becomes  in  Hasa  a 
stately  tree  ;  the  papay,  too,  so  well  known  in  the 
more  easterly  peninsula,  appears,  though  seldom, 
and  stunted  in  growth,  along  with  some  other  trees, 
common  on  the  coast  from  Cutcli  to  Bombay.  Indigo 
is  here  cultivated,  though  not  sufficiently  for  the 
demands  of  commerce  ;  cotton  is  much  more  widely 
grown  than  in  Yemamah ;  rice  fields  abound,  and 
the  sugar-cane  is  often  planted,  though  not,  I  believe, 
for  the  extraction  of  the  sugar ;  the  peasants  of 
Hasa  sell  the  reed  by  retail  bundles  in  the  market¬ 
place,  and  the  purchasers  take  it  home  to  gnaw  at 
Leisure  in  their  houses.  Corn,  maize,  millet,  vetches 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


291 


of  every  kind,  radishes,  onions,  garlic,  beans,  in 
short,  almost  all  legumina  and  cerealia,  barley  ex¬ 
cepted,  (at  least  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  of  any,) 
cover  the  plain,  and  under  a  better  administration 
might  be  multiplied  tenfold. 

The  climate  of  Hasa,  as  I  have  already  implied, 
is  very  different  from  that  of  the  uplands,  and  not 
equally  favorable  to  health  and  physical  activity. 
Hence,  a  doctor,  like  myself,  if  my  readers  will 
allow  me  the  title,  has  here  more  work  and  better 
fees  ;  this  latter  circumstance  is  also  owing  to  the 
greater  amount  of  ready  money  in  circulation,  and 
the  higher  value  set  on  medical  science  by  men 
whose  intellects  are  much  more  cultivated  than  those 
of  their  Ned  jean  neighbors.  In  appearance,  the 
inhabitants  of  Hasa  are  generally  good-sized  and 
well-proportioned,  but  somewhat  sallow  in  the  face, 
and  of  a  less  muscular  development  than  is  usual 
inland ,  their  features,  though  regular,  are  less 
marked  than  those  of  the  Nedjeans,  and  do  not  ex¬ 
hibit  the  same  half-Jewish  type  j  on  the  contrary, 
there  is  something  in  them  that  reminds  a  beholder 
of  the  Bajpoot  or  the  Guzeratee.  They  are  passion¬ 
ately  fond  of  literature  and  poetry. 

I  have  already  said  that  our  great  endeavor  in 
Hasa  was  to  observe  unobserved,  and  thus  to  render 
our  time  as  barren  as  might  be  in  incidents  and 
catastrophes.  Not  that  we  went  into  the  opposite 
extreme  of  leading  an  absolutely  retired  and  there- 
foie  uneventful  life.  Aboo-’Eysa  took  care  from  the 
first  to  bring  us  into  contact  with  the  best  and  the 
most,  cultivated  families  of  the  town,  nor  had  m^ 


292 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


medical  profession  anywhere  a  wider  range  for  its 
exercise,  or  better  success  than  in  Hof  hoof.  Fiiendlj 
invitations,  now  to  dinner,  now  to  supper,  were  of 
daily  occurrence  j  and  we  sat  at  tables  where  fish, 
no  longer  mere  salted  shrimps,  announced  our 
vicinity  to  the  coast ;  vermicelli,  too,  and  other 
kinds  of  pastry,  denoted  the  influence  of  Persain 
art  on  the  kitchen.  Smoking  within  doors  was 
general ;  but  the  nargheelah  often  replaced,  and 
that  advantageously,  the  short  Arab  pipe ;  perfumes 
are  no  less  here  in  use  than  in  Nedjed.  I  need 
hardly  say  that  domestic  furniture  is  here  much 
more  varied  and  refined  than  what  adorns  the  dwell¬ 
ings  of  Sedeyr  and  ’Aared  ;  and  the  stools,  low  din¬ 
ner-tables,  cupboards,  shelves,  and  bedsteads,  are 
very  like  the  fittings-up  of  a  respectable  Hindoo 
house. 

“  We  had  passed  about  a  week  in  the  town  when 

Aboo-’Evsa  enter  the  side  room  where  Barakat 

« / 

and  I  were  enjoying  a  moment  of  quiet,  and  copy¬ 
ing  out  ‘  Nabtee’  poetry,  and  shut  the  door  behind 
him.  He  then  announced  to  us,  with  a  face  and 
tone  of  serious  anxiety,  that  two  of  the  principal 
Nedjeau  agents  belonging  to  the  Kot  had  just  come 
into  the  k’hawali,  under  pretext  of  medical  con¬ 
sultation,  but  in  reality,  said  he,  to  identify  the 
strangers.  We  put  on  our  cloaks — a  preliminary 
measure  of  decorum  equivalent  to  face  and  hand¬ 
washing  in  Europe — aud  presented  ourselves  before 
our  inquisitors  with  an  air  of  conscious  innocence 
and  scientific  solemnity.  Conversation  ensued,  and 
we  talked  so  learnedly  about  bilious  and  sanguine 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


293 


complexions,  cephalic  veins,  and  Indian  drugs,  with 
such  apposite  citations  from  the  Koran,  and  such 
loyal  phrases  for  Feysul,  that  Aboo-’Eysa  was 
beside  himself  for  joy  ;  and  the  spies,  after  receiving 
some  prescriptions  of  the  bread-pill  and  aromatic- 
water  formula,  left  the  house  no  wiser  than  before. 
Our  friends,  too,  and  they  were  now  many,  well 
guessing  what  we  might  really  be,  partly  from  our 
own  appearance,  and  partly  from  the  known  char¬ 
acter  of  our  host,  (according  to  old  Homer’s  true 
saying,  Heaven  always  leads  like  to  like,)  did  each  and 
all  their  best  to  throw  sand  into  Wahabee  eyes,  and 
everything  went  on  sociably  and  smoothly.  A 
blessing  on  the  medical  profession!  None  other 
gives  such  excellent  opportunities  for  securing  every¬ 
where  confidence  and  friendship. 

“  Before  we  leave  Hasa  I  must  add  a  few  remarks 
to  complete  the  sketch  given  of  the  province  and  of 
its  inhabitants ;  want  of  a  suitable  opportunity  for 
inserting  them  before  has  thrown  them  together  at 
this  point  of  my  narrative. 

“  My  fair  readers  will  be  pleased  to  learn  that  the 
veil  and  other  restraints  inflicted  on  the  gentle  sex 
by  Islamitic  rigorism,  not  to  say  worse,  are  much 
less  universal,  and  more  easily  dispensed  with  in 
Hasa;  while  in  addition,  the  ladies  of  the  land 
enjoy  a  remarkable  share  of  those  natural  gifts 
which  no  institutions,  and  even  no  cosmetics,  can 
confer ;  namely,  beauty  of  face  and  elegance  of 
form.  Might  I  venture  on  the  delicate  and  some¬ 
what  invidious  task  of  constructing  a  ‘  beauty-scale 
Cor  Arabia,  and  for  Arabia  alone,  the  Bedouin  women 


294 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


would,  on  this  kalometer,  be  represented  by  zero,  or 
at  most  1°;  a  degree  higher  would  represent  the 
female  sex  of  Nedjed ;  above  them  rank  the  women 
of  Sliomer,  who  are  in  their  turn  surmounted  by 
those  of  Djowf.  The  fifth  or  sixth  degree  symbol¬ 
izes  the  fair  ones  of  Hasa  ;  the  seventh  those  of 
Ivatar ;  and  lastly,  by  a  sudden  rise  of  ten  degrees 
at  least,  the  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  would  denote 
the  pre-eminent  beauties  of  Oman.  Arab  poets  oc¬ 
casionally  languish  after  the  charmers  of  Iiedjaz  ;  I 
never  saw  any  one  to  charm  me,  but  then  I  only 
skirted  the  province.  All  bear  witness  to  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  female  loveliness  in  Yemen  ;  and  I  should 
much  doubt  whether  the  mulatto  races  and  dusky 
complexions  of  Hadramaut  have  much  to  vaunt  of. 
But  in  Hasa  a  decided  improvement  on  this  import¬ 
ant  point  is  agreeably  evident  to  the  traveller 
arriving  from  Nedjed,  and  he  will  be  yet  further 
delighted  on  finding  his  Calypsos  much  more  con- 
versible,  and  having  much  more,  too,  in  their  con¬ 
versation  than  those  he  left  behind  him  in  Sedeyr 
and  ’Aared. 

“During  our  stay  at  Hofhoof,  Aboo-’Eysa  left  un¬ 
tried  no  arts  of  Arab  rhetoric  and  persuasion  to 
determine  me  to  visit  Oman,  assuring  me  again  and 
again  that  whatever  we  had  yet  seen,  even  in  his 
favorite  Hasa,  was  nothing  compared  to  what  re¬ 
mained  to  see  in  that  more  remote  country.  My 
companion,  tired  of  our  long  journey,  and  thinking 
the  long  distance  already  laid  between  him  and  his 
Syrian  home  quite  sufficient  in  itself  without  further 
leagues  tacked  0.1  to  it,  was  very  little  disposed  for 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


295 


a  supplementary  expedition.  Englishmen,  on  the 
contrary,  are  rovers  by  descent  and  habit ;  my  own 
mind  was  now  fully  made  up  to  visit  Oman  at  all 
risks,  whether  Barakat  came  with  me  or  not. 
Meanwhile,  we  formed  our  plan  for  the  mext  imme¬ 
diate  stage  of  our  route.  My  companion  and  I 
were  to  quit  Hofhoof  together,  leaving  Aboo-’Eysa 
behind  us  for  a  week  or  two  at  Hasa,  whilst  we 
journeyed  northwards  to  Kateef,  and  thence  took 
ship  for  the  town  of  Menamah  in  Bahreyn.  In 
this  latter  place  Aboo-’Eysa  was  to  rejoin  us.  Our 
main  reason  for  thus  separating  our  movements  in 
time  and  in  direction,  was  to  avoid  the  too  glaring 
appearance  of  acting  in  concert  while  yet  in  a  land 
under  Waliabee  government  and  full  of  Wahabee 
spies  and  reporters,  especially  after  the  suspicions 
thrown  on  us  at  Bi’ad.  The  Oman  arrangements 
were  to  be  deferred  till  we  should  all  meet  again.” 

“  Barakat  and  myself  prepared  for  our  departure  ; 
we  purchased  a  few  objects  of  local  curiosity,  got  in 
our  dues  of  medical  attendance,  paid  and  received 
the  customary  P.  P.  C.  visits,  and  even  tendered 
our  respects  to  the  negro  governor  Belal,  where  he 
sat  at  his  palace  door  in  the  Kot,  holding  a  public 
audience,  and  looking  much  like  any  other  well- 
dressed  black.  No  passport  was  required  for  set¬ 
ting  out  on  the  road  to  Kateef,  which  in  the  eyes  ol 
government  forms  only  one  and  the  same  province 
with  Hasa,  though  in  many  respects  very  different 
from  it.  The  road  is  perfectly  secure  ;  plundering 
Bedouins  or  highway  robbers  are  here  out  of  the 
question.  However  wTe  stood  in  need  of  compan- 


296 


TRAVELS  IN  ABAB1A. 


ions,  not  for  escort,  but  as  guides.  Aboo-’E}Tsa 
made  inquiries  in  the  town,  and  found  three  men 
who  chanced  to  be  just  then  setting  out  on  their 
way  for  Kateef,  who  readily  consented  to  join  band 
with  us  for  the  road.  Our  Abyssinian  hostess  sup¬ 
plied  us  with  a  whole  sack  of  provisions,  and  our 
Hofhoof  associates  found  us  in  camels.  Thus 
equipped  and  mounted,  we  took  an  almost  touch¬ 
ing  leave  of  Aboo-’Eysa’s  good-natured  wife,  kissed 
the  baby,  exchanged  an  cm  revoir  with  its  father, 
and  set  out  on  the  afternoon  of  December  19th, 
leaving  behind  us  many  pleasant  acquaintances, 
from  some  of  whom  I  received  messages  and 
letters  while  at  Bahreyn.  So  far  as  inhabitants 
are  concerned,  to  no  town  in  Arabia  should  I  return 
with  equal  confidence  of  finding  a  hearty  greeting 
and  a  welcome  reception,  than  to  Hofhoof  and  its 
amiable  and  intelligent  merchants. 

“We  quitted  the  town  by  the  northeastern  gate  of 
the  Bifey-’eeyah,  where  the  friends,  who,  according 
to  Arab  custom,  had  accompanied  us  thus  far  in  a 
sort  of  procession,  w  shed  us  a  prosperous  journey, 
took  a  last  adieu,  and  returned  home.  After  some 
hours  wTe  bivouacked  on  a  little  hillock  of  clean  sand, 
with  the  dark  line  of  the  Hofhoof  woods  on  our 
left,  while  at  some  distance  in  front  a  copious  foun¬ 
tain  poured  out  its  rushing  waters  with  a  noise  dis¬ 
tinctly  audible  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and 
irrigated  a  garden  worthy  of  Damascus  or  Antioch. 
The  night  air  was  temperate,  neither  cold  like  tha 
of  Nedjed,  nor  stifling  like  that  of  Southern  India 
the  sky  clear  and  starry.  From  our  commanding 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


297 


position  on  the  hill  I  could  distinguish  Soheyl  or 
Canopus,  now  setting  ;  and  following  him,  nob  far 
above  the  horizon,  the  three  upper  stars  of  the 
Southern  Cross,  an  old  Indian  acquaintance  ;  two 
months  later  in  Oman  I  had  the  view  of  the  entire 
constellation. 

“  Next  morning  we  traversed  a  large  plain  of  light 
and  sandy  soil,  intersected  by  occasional  ridges  of 
basalt  and  sandstone.  Everywhere  were  indica¬ 
tions  of  abundant  moisture  at  a  very  slight  depth 
below  the  surface  ;  dwarf-palms,  shrubs,  nay,  reeds 
and  rushes,  sprang  up  at  short  intervals,  and  now 
and  then  we  passed  a  little  pool  in  some  sheltered 
hollow,  fringed  with  overhanging  bushes,  while  the 
ruins  of  two  large  villages,  now  deserted  like  Au¬ 
burn,  witnessed  to  the  decline  of  the  land  under 
Nedjean  rule.  Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  the 
inhabitants  have  recently  emigrated  ;  a  few  fami¬ 
lies  northward,  the  greater  number  to  the  islands 
adjacent  to  Bahreyn,  to  the  Persian  coast,  and  the 
kindred  dominions  of  Oman. 

“  We  journeyed  on  all  day,  meeting  no  Bedouins 
and  few  travellers.  At  evening  we  encamped  in  a 
shallow  valley,  near  a  cluster  of  brimming  wells, 
some  sweet,  some  brackish,  where  the  traces  of 
half-obliterated  watercourses  and  the  vestiges  of 
crumbling  house-walls  indicated  the  former  ex¬ 
istence  of  a  village,  now  also  deserted.  We 
passed  a  comfortable  night  under  the  shelter  of 
palms  and  high  brushwood,  mixed  with  gigantic 
aloes  and  yuccas  ;  and  rose  next  morning  early  to 
our  way.  Our  direction  lay  northeast.  In  the 


298 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


afternoon  we  caught  our  first  glimpse  of  Djebel 
Mushalihar,  a  pyramidical  peak  some  seven  hun¬ 
dred  feet  high  and  about  ten  miles  south  of  Kateef. 
But  the  sea,  though  I  looked  towards  it  and  for  it 
with  an  eagerness  somewhat  resembling  that  of  the 
Ten  Thousand  on  their  approach  to  the  Euxine, 
remained  shut  out  from  view  by  a  further  continu¬ 
ation  of  the  heights.  Here  we  exchanged  the 
sands  of  Hasa  for  a  rocky  and  blackish  ground  ; 
the  air  blew  cold  and  sharp,  nor  was  I  sorry  when 
at  evening  we  halted  near  a  cluster  of  trees,  exactly 
at  the  boundary  line  of  the  Kateef  territory.  Our 
dromedaries  (beautiful  creatures  to  look  at)  were 
turned  loose  to  graze,  when  lo  !  they  took  advan¬ 
tage  of  the  dusk  to  sheer  off,  nor  were  they  recap¬ 
tured  without  much  difficulty ;  thus  giving  us  proof 
of  what  I  had  often  heard,  and  have  mentioned  in 
another  chapter  of  this  work,  that  a  camel  when 
once  his  own  master,  never  dreams  of  coming  home, 
except  under  compulsion. 

“  Next  day  we  rose  at  dawn,  and  crossed  the  hills 
of  Kateef  by  a  long  winding  path,  till  after  some 
hours  of  labyrinthine  track  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
dark  plantation-line  that  girdles  Kateef  itself  land¬ 
wards.  The  sea  lies  immediately  beyond  ;  this  we 
knew,  but  we  could  not  obtain  a  glimpse  of  its 
waters  through  the  verdant  curtain  stretched  be¬ 
tween. 

“  About  midday  we  descended  the  last  slope,  a 
steep  sandstone  cliff,  which  looks  as  though  it  had 
been  the  sea-limit  of  a  former  period.  We  now 
btood  on  the  coast  itself.  Its  level  is  as  nearly  as 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


299 


possible  tliat  of  the  Gulf  beyond ;  a  few  feet  of  a 
higher  tide  than  usual  would  cover  it  up  to  the 
cliffs.  Hence  it  is  a  decidedly  unhealthy  land, 
though  fertile  and  even  populous  ;  but  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  are  mostly  weak  in  frame  and  sallow  in  com 
plexion.  The  atmosphere  was  thick  and  oppres¬ 
sive,  the  heat  intense,  and  the  vegetation  hung  rich 
and  heavy  around ;  my  companions  talked  about 
suffocation,  and  I  remembered  once  more  the  In¬ 
dian  coast.  Another  hour  of  afternoon  march 
brought  us  to  Kateef  itself,  at  its  western  portal ; 
a  high  stone  arch  of  elegant  form,  and  Hanked  by 
walls  and  towers,  but  all  dismantled  and  ruinous. 
Close  by  the  two  burial  grounds,  one  for  the  people 
of  the  land,  the  other  for  the  Nedjean  rulers  and 
colony — divided  even  after  death  by  mutual  hatred 
and  anathema.  Folly,  if  you  will,  but  folly  not  pe¬ 
culiar  to  the  East. 

“  The  town  itself  is  crowded,  damp,  and  dirty,  and 
has  altogether  a  gloomy,  what  for  want  of  a  better 
epithet  I  would  call  a  mouldy ,  look  ;  much  busi¬ 
ness  was  going  on  in  the  market  and  streets,  but 
the  ill-favored  and  very  un-Arab  look  of  the  shop¬ 
keepers  and  workmen  confirms  what  history  tells  of 
the  Persian  colonization  of  this  city.  Indeed,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  entire  district,  but  more  especially 
of  the  capital,  are  a  mongrel  race,  in  which  Persian 
blood  predominates,  mixed  with  that  of  Bassora, 
Bagdad,  and  the  ’Irak. 

“  W  e  urged  our  starting  dromedaries  across  the 
open  square  in  front  of  the  market-place,  traversed 
the  town  in  its  width,  which  is  scarce  a  quarter  of 


300 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


its  length,  (like  other  coast  towns,)  till  we  emerged 
from  the  opposite  gate,  and  then  looked  out  with 
greedy  eyes  for  the  sea,  now  scarce  ten  minutes 
distant.  In  vain  as  yet,  so  low  lies  the  land,  and  so 
thick  cluster  the  trees.  But  after  a  turn  or  two  we 
came  alongside  of  the  outer  walls,  belonging  to  the 
huge  fortress  of  Karmoot,  and  immediately  after¬ 
wards  the  valley  opening  out  showed  us  almost  at 
our  feet  the  dead  shallow  fiats  of  the  bay.  How 
different  from  the  bright  waters  of  the  Mediterra¬ 
nean,  all  glitter  and  life,  where  we  had  bidden  them 
farewell  eight  months  before  at  Gaza !  Like  a 
leaden  sheet,  half  ooze,  half  sedge,  the  muddy  sea 
lay  in  view,  waveless,  motionless  ;  to  our  left  the 
massive  walls  of  the  castle  went  down  almost  to  the 
water’s  edge,  and  then  turned  to  leave  a  narrow 
esplanade  between  its  circuit  and  the  Gulf.  On  this 
ledge  were  ranged  a  few  rusty  guns  of  large  calibre, 
to  show  how  the  place  was  once  guarded ;  and  just 
in  front  of  the  main  gate  a  crumbling  outwork, 
which  a  single  cannon-shot  would  level  with  the 
ground,  displayed  six  pieces  of  honey-combed  ar¬ 
tillery,  their  mouths  pointed  seawards.  Long  stone 
benches  without  invited  us  to  leave  our  camels 
crouching  on  the  esplanade,  while  we  seated  our¬ 
selves  and  rested  a  little  before  requesting  the  gov¬ 
ernor  to  grant  us  a  day’s  hospitality,  and  permission 
to  embark  for  Bahreyn. 

“  Barakat  and  I  sat  still  to  gaze,  speculating  on 
the  difference  between  the  two  sides  of  Arabia. 
But  our  companions,  like  true  Arabs,  thought  it 
high  time  for  ‘  refreshment,’  and  accordingly  began 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


301 


their  inquiries  at  the  castle  gate  where  the  governor 
might  be,  and  whether  he  was  to  be  spoken  to. 
When,  behold !  the  majesty  of  Feysul’s  vicegerent 
issuing  in  person  from  his  palace  to  visit  the  new 
man-of-war.  My  abolitionist  friends  will  be  gratified 
to  learn  that  this  exalted  dignitary  is,  no  less  than 
he  of  Hofhoof,  a  negro,  brought  up  from  a  curly- 
headed  imp  to  a  woolly-headed  black  in  Fey sul’s 
own  palace,  and  now  governor  of  the  most  impor¬ 
tant  harbor  owned  by  Nedjed  on  the  Persian  Gulf, 
and  of  the  town  once  capital  of  that  fierce  dynasty 
which  levelled  the  Kaabah  with  the  dust,  and  filled 
Kat-eef  with  the  plunder  ol  Yemen  and  Syria.  Far- 
hat,  to  give  him  his  proper  name,  common  among 
those  of  his  complexion,  was  a  fine  tall  negro  of 
about  fifty  years  old,  good-natured,  chatty,  hospi¬ 
table,  and  furnished  with  perhaps  a  trifle  more  than 
the  average  amount  of  negro  intellect. 

“  Aboo-  Eysa,  who  had  friends  and  acquaintances 
everywhere,  and  whose  kindly  manner  made  him 
always  a  special  favorite  with  negroes  high  or  low, 
had  furnished  us  with  an  introductory  letter  to  Far- 
hat,  intended  to  make  matters  smooth  for  our  future 
route.  But  as  matters  went  there  was  little  need  of 
caution.  The  fortunate  coincidence  of  a  strong 
north  wind,  just  then  blowing  down  the  Gulf,  gave  a 
satisfactory  reason  for  not  embarking  on  board  of  a 
Bassora  cruiser,  while  it  rendered  a  voyage  to  Bah- 
reyn,  our  real  object,  equally  specious  and  easy. 
Besides,  Farhat  himself,  who  was  a  good,  easy¬ 
going  sort  of  man,  had  hardly  opened  Aboo-’Eysa’a 
note,  than  without  more  ado  he  bade  us  a  hearty 


302 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA 


welcome,  ordered  our  luggage  to  be  brought  within 
the  castle  precincts,  and  requested  us  to  step  in  our¬ 
selves  and  take  a  cup  of  coffee,  awaiting  his  return 
for  further  conversation,  after  his  daily  visit  of 
inspection  to  Fey sul’s  abridged  fleet. 

“  The  next  day  passed,  partly  in  Farhat’s  k’hawah, 
partly  in  strolling  about  the  castle,  town,  gardens, 
and  beach,  making,  meanwhile,  random  inquiries 
after  boats  and  boatmen.  Kateef  offers  what  might 
almost  be  called  a  violent  contrast  to  the  general 
features  of  Arabia.  The  rank  luxuriance  of  its 
garden  vegetation  surpasses  by  much  the  best 
watered  spots  about  Hofhoof,  and  the  heavy  foliage 
drooping  in  the  heavy  air  aroused  in  me  remem¬ 
brances  of  a  rainy  season  in  the  Concan,  and  sen¬ 
sations  which  had  been  sleeping  for  many  a  year. 
The  town  itself,  damp  and  dingy  as  it  is,  offers  little 
to  invite  visitors. 

“  It  was  noon  when  we  fell  in  with  a  ship  captain, 
ready  to  sail  that  very  night,  wind  and  tide  permit¬ 
ting.  Farhat’s  men  had  spoken  with  him,  and  he 
readily  offered  to  take  us  on  board.  We  then  paid 
a  visit  to  the  custom-house  officer  to  settle  the  em¬ 
barkation  dues  for  men  and  goods.  This  foreman 
of  the  Ma’asher,  whether  in  accordance  with  orders 
from  Farliat,  or  of  his  own  free  will  and  inclination, 
I  know  not,  proved  wonderfully  gracious,  and 
declared  that  to  take  a  farthing  of  duty  from  such 
useful  servants  of  the  public  as  doctors,  would  be 
‘  sheyn  w’  khata’,’  ‘  shame  and  sin.’  Alas,  that 
European  custom-house  officials  should  be  far  re¬ 
moved  from  such  generous  and  patriotic  sentiments  1 


EASTERN  ARABIA. 


303 


Lastly,  of  his  own  accord  he  furnished  us  with  men 
to  carry  our  baggage  through  knee-deep  water  and 
thigh-deep  mud  to  the  little  cutter,  where  she  lay 
some  fifty  yards  from  shore.  Evening  now  came 
on,  and  E arhat  sent  for  us  to  congratulate  us,  but 
with  a  polite  regret  on  having  found  so  speedy  con¬ 
veyance  for  our  voyage.  Meanwhile  he  let  us 
understand  how  he  was  himself  invited  for  the 
evening  to  supper  with  a  rich  merchant  of  the  town, 
and  that  we  were  expected  to  join  the  party ;  nor 
need  that  make  us  anxious  about  our  passage, 
since  our  ship  captain  was  also  invited,  nor  could 
the  vessel  possibly  sail  before  the  full  tide  at  mid¬ 
night. 

“  Erom  our  town  supper  we  returned  by  torchlight 
to  the  castle ;  our  baggage,  no  great  burden,  had 
been  already  taken  down  to  the  sea  gate,  where 
stood  two  of  the  captain’s  men  waiting  for  us.  In 
their  company  we  descended  to  the  beach,  and  then 
with  garments  tucked  up  to  the  waist  waded  to  the 
vessel,  not  without  difficulty,  for  the  tide  was  rapidly 
coming  in,  and  we  had  almost  to  swim  for  it.  At 
last  we  reached  the  ship,  and  scrambled  up  her  side; 
most  heartily  glad  was  I  to  find  myself  at  sea  once 
more  on  the  other  side  of  Arabia.” 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN. — -CONCLUSION. 

AFTER  a  slow  voyage  of  three  days,  Palgrave 
reached  Bahreyn,  the  headquarters  of  the 
pearl  fisheries,  and  established  himself  in  the  little 
town  of  Moharrek,  to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  Aboo- 
’Eysa,  before  undertaking  his  projected  exploration 
of  Oman.  He  and  his  companion  enjoyed  a  grate- 
ful  feeling  of  rest  and  security  in  this  seaport  among 
the  sailors,  to  whom  all  varieties  of  foreigners  were 
well  known,  and  who,  having  no  prejudices,  felt  no 
suspicion. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  18G3,  Aboo-’Eysa  arrived, 
and  after  much  earnest  consultation  the  following 
plan  was  adopted  :  Aboo-’Eysa  was  to  send  twenty 
loads  of  the  best  Hasa  dates,  and  a  handsome 
mantle,  as  presents  to  the  Sultan  of  Oman,  with 
three  additional  mantles  for  the  three  chiefs  "whose 
territories  intervened  between  Bahreyn  and  Muscat. 
Palgrave  was  to  accompany  these  gifts,  under  his 
character  of  a  skilled  physician,  in  quest  of  certain 
rare  and  mysterious  herbs  of  Oman.  Meanwhile, 


SHIP  WRECK  OX  THE  COAST  OF  031  A  X.  395 


Aboo-’Eysa  and  Barakat  would  take  passage  for 
Aboo-Shahr  (Busheer),  in  Persia,  where  the  former 
would  be  employed  for  three  months  in  making  up 
his  next  caravan  of  Mecca  pilgrims.  Here  Pal- 
grave  was  to  rejoin  them,  after  his  journey. 

In  place  of  Barakat,  his  companion  was  a  curious 
individual  named  Yoosef,  whom  Aboo-’Eysa  had 
rescued  from  misery,  and  maintained  in  a  decent 
condition.  He  was  a  native  of  Hasa,  half  a  jester 
and  half  a  knave ;  witty,  reckless,  hair-brained  to 
the  last  degree,  full  of  jocose  or  pathetic  stories,  of 
poetry,  traditions,  and  fun  of  every  description. 
When  everything  had  been  arranged,  the  four 
parted  company,  Palgrave  and  his  new  companion 
sailing  for  the  port  of  Bedaa’,  on  the  Arabian  coast, 
where  resided  the  first  of  the  three  chiefs  whose 
protection  it  was  necessary  to  secure.  They  reached 
there  after  a  cruise  of  five  or  six  days,  finding  the 
place  very  barren  and  desolate,  with  scarcely  a  tree 
or  a  garden ;  but,  as  the  chief  said  to  Palgrave, 
“  we  are  all,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  the 
slaves  of  one  master — Pearl.”  The  bay  contains 
the  best  pearl-fishery  on  the  coast,  and  the  town 
depends  for  its  existence  on  the  trade  in  these 
gems. 

The  chief  was  intelligent  and  friendly,  and  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  interposed  no  obstacle  to  the  pro¬ 
posed  journey  into  the  interior,  but  Palgrave  de¬ 
cided  to  go  on  by  sea  to  the  town  of  Sharjah,  on 
the  northern  side  of  the  peninsula  of  Oman.  Em¬ 
barking  again  on  the  6th  of  February,  the  vessel 
was  driven  by  violent  winds  across  to  the  Persian 


306 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


shore,  and  ten  days  elapsed  before  it  was  possible 
to  reach  Sharjah.  Here,  again,  although  their  re¬ 
ception  was  hospitable,  the  travellers  gave  up  their 
land  journey,  and  re-embarked  in  another  vessel  to 
pass  around  the  peninsula,  through  the  Straits  of 
Ormuz,  and  land  on  the  southern  shore,  in  the  ter¬ 
ritory  of  Muscat. 

In  three  days  they  reached  the  island  of  Ormuz, 
of  which  Palgrave  says  :  “  I  was  not  at  all  sorry  to 
have  an  opportunity  of  visiting  an  island  once  so 
renowmed  for  its  commerce,  and  of  which  its  Portu¬ 
guese  occupants  used  to  say,  ‘  that,  w7ere  the  world 
a  golden  ring,  Ormuz  would  be  the  diamond  signet.’ 
The  general  appearance  of  Ormuz  indicates  an 
extinguished  volcano,  and  such  I  believe  it  really  is  ; 
the  circumference  consists  of  a  wide  oval  wall, 
formed  by  steep  crags,  fire-worn  and  ragged  ;  these 
enclose  a  central  basin,  where  grow  shrubs  and 
grass ;  the  basaltic  slopes  of  the  outer  barrier  run 
in  many  places  clean  dowm  into  the  sea,  amid  splin¬ 
ter-like  pinnacles  and  fantastic  crags  of  many  colors, 
like  those  wdiich  lava  often  assumes  on  cooling. 
Between  the  west  and  north  a  long  triangular  pro- 
montorv,  low  and  level,  advances  to  a  considerable 
distance,  and  narrows  into  a  neck  of  land,  which  is 
terminated  by  a  few  rocks  and  a  strong  fortress,  the 
work  of  Portuguese  builders,  but  worthy  of  taking 
rank  among  Roman  ruins — so  solid  are  the  walls,  so 
compact  the  masonry  and  wr  ell-selected  brickwork, 
against  which  three  long  centuries  of  sea-storm 
have  broken  themselves  in  vain.  The  greater  part 
of  the  promontory  itself  is  covered  with  ruins ; 


SHIP  WRECK  ON  THE  00 AST  OF  OMAN.  307 

here  stood  the  once  thriving  town,  now  a  confused 
extent  of  desolate  heaps,  amid  which  the  vestiges 
of  several  tine  dwellings,  of  baths,  and  of  a  large 
church,  may  yet  be  clearly  made  out.  Close  by  the 
fort  cluster  a  hundred  or  more  wretched  earth* 
hovels,  the  abode  of  fishermen  or  shepherds,  whose 
flocks  pasture  within  the  crater  ;  one  single  shed, 
where  dried  dates,  raisins,  and  tobacco  are  exposed 
for  sale,  is  all  that  now  remains  of  the  trade  of 
Ormuz.” 

After  being  detained  three  days  at  Ormuz  by  a 
storm,  the  vessel  passed  through  the  Strait,  skirted 
the  southern  coast  of  the  peninsula,  and  reached 
the  harbor  of  Sohar  on  the  3rd  of  March.  Pal- 
grave  determined  to  set  off  with  Yoosef  the  same 
evening  on  the  land-journey  of  eight  or  nine  days  to 
Muscat ;  but  he  had  already  lost  so  much  time  by 
delays  since  leaving  Balireyn  that  he  yielded  to  the 
persuasions  of  the  captain  of  another  vessel,  who 
promised  to  take  him  to  Muscat  by  sea  in  two  days. 
He  sailed  on  the  6th,  weighed  down  with  a  vague 
presentiment  of  coming  evil,  which  wras  soon  to  be 
justified.  His  wanderings  in  Arabia,  and  also  in 
this  world,  very  nearly  came  to  an  end.  The  vessel 
slowly  glided  on  for  two  days,  and  Muscat  was 
almost  in  sight  when  a  dead,  ominous  calm  befell 
them  near  the  Sowadah  Islands — some  low  reels  of 
barren  rocks,  about  three  leagues  from  shore. 
What  followed  must  be  related  in  PalgraWs  own 
words : 

“  Towards  evening  a  light  southwesterly  breeze 
3prung  up,  and  we  spread  our  sails,  hoping  by  their 


308 


TRA  VELS  IX  ARABIA. 


aid,  though  the  wind  was  not  precisely  from  the 
right  quarter,  to'  find  our  way,  after  some  tacking 
and  wearing,  into  Muscat  harbor.  But  the  breeze 
rapidly  grew  till  it  became  a  strong  gale,  and  in  half 
an  hour’s  time  it  was  a  downright  storm,  baffling  all 
nautical  manoeuvres.  One  of  our  sails  was  blown 
to  rags,  the  others  were  with  difficulty  got  in,  and 
when  night  closed  we  were  driving  under  bare  poles 
before  a  fierce  south  wester  over  a  raging  sea,  while 
the  sky,  though  unclouded,  was  veiled  from  view  by 
a  general  haze,  such  as  often  accompanies  a  high 
storm.  The  passengers  were  frightened,  but  the 
sailors  and  I  rather  enjoyed  the  adventure,  know¬ 
ing  that  we  were  by  this  time  far  off  the  coast, 
clear  of  all  rocks,  and,  in  short,  anticipating  noth¬ 
ing  worse  than  a  day  or  two  extra  at  sea  before  get¬ 
ting  round  to  Muscat.  The  moon  rose — she  was  in 
her  third  quarter — and  showed  us  a  weltering  waste 
of  waters,  -where  we  were  scudding  entirely  alone ; 
some  other  vessels  which  had  been  in  sight  at  sun¬ 
set  had  now  totally  disappeared.  The  passengers, 
and  Yoosef  among  the  number,  dismayed  by  the 
mad  roll  of  the  ship,  no  longer  steadied  by  a  stitch 
of  canvas,  by  the  dashing  of  the  waves,  and  all  the 
confusion  of  a  storm,  sat  huddled  below  in  the  aft 
cabin,  while  the  helmsman,  the  captain,  and  myself, 
held  on  to  the  ropes  of  the  quarter,  and  so  kept  our 
places  as  best  we  might ;  the  Sonnees  with  the  Ned- 
jeans  recited  verses  out  of  the  Koran;  the  Omanee 
sailors  laughed,  or  tried  to  laugh,  for  some  of  them, 
too,  began  to  think  the  matter  serious ;  no  one, 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN.  309 

however,  anticipated,  the  sudden  catastrophe  near 
at  hand. 

“  It  may  have  been,  to  judge  by  the  height  of  the 
moon  above  the  horizon,  about  ten  of  the  night,  or 
a  little  earlier,  when  we  remarked  that  the  ship, 
instead  of  bounding  and  tossing  over  the  waves  as 
before,  began  to  drive  low  in  the  water,  with  a  heavy 
lurch  of  a  peculiar  character.  One  of  the  sailors 
approached  the  captain  and  whispered  in  his  eai  \ 
in  reply  the  captain  directed  them  to  sound  tlit- 
hold.  Two  men  went  to  work,  and  found  the  lower 
part  of  the  vessel  full  of  water.  Hastily  they  re¬ 
moved  some  side  boardings,  and  saw  a  large  stream 
pouring  into  the  hole  from  sternwards  ;  a  plank  had 

started. 

“  The  captain  rose  in  despair  full  length,  and 
called  out,  ‘  Irmoo  !’  ‘  throw  overboard  !’  hoping  that 
lightening  the  ship  of  her  cargo  might  yet  save  her, 
In  a  moment  the  hatchways  amidships  were  removed, 
and  all  hands  were  busy  to  execute  the  last  and 
desperate  duty.  But  no  more  than  three  bales  had 
been  cast  into  the  deep,  when  a  ripple  of  blue, 
phosphoric  light  crossed  the  main-deck  ;  the  sea 
was  already  above  board.  No  chance  remained. 
<  Ikhamoo  !’  £  plunge  for  it !’  shouted  the  captain,  and. 
set  the  example  by  leaping  himself  amid  the  waves. 
All  this  passed  in  less  than  a  minute  ;  there  was 
no  time  for  deliberation,  or  attempt  to  save  any¬ 
thing. 

“  How  to  get  clear  of  the  whirl  which  must  fol¬ 
low  the  ship’s  going  down  was  my  first  thought.  I 
clambered  at  once  on  the  quarter-deck,  which  was 


310 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


yet  some  feet  raised  above  tlie  triumph  of  the  lash¬ 
ing  waves,  invoked  Him  who  can  save  by  sea  as  well 
as  by  land,  and  dived  head  foremost  as  far  as  I 
could.  After  a  few  vigorous  strokes  out,  I  turned 
my  face  back  towards  the  ship,  whence  a  wail  of 
despair  had  been  the  last  sound  I  had  heard.  Then 
I  saw  amid  the  raging  waters  the  top  of  the  mizen- 
mast  just  before  it  disappeared  below  with  a  spiral 
movement,  while  I  was  yet  looking  at  it.  Six  men 
— five  passengers  and  one  sailor — had  gone  down 
with  the  vessel.  A  minute  later,  and  boards,  mats, 
and  spars  were  floating  here  and  there  amid  the 
breakers,  while  the  heads  of  the  surviving  swimmers 
now  showed  themselves,  now  disappeared,  in  the 
inoongleam  and  shadow. 

“  So  rapidly  had  all  this  taken  place  that  I  had 
not  a  moment  for  so  much  as  to  throw  off  a  single 
article  of  dress;  though  the  buffeting  of  the  waves 
soon  eased  me  of  turban  and  girdle.  Nor  had  I 
even  leisure  for  a  thought  of  deliberate  fear  ;  though 
I  confess  that  an  indescribable  thrill  of  horror, 
which  had  come  over  me  when  the  blue  glimmer  of 
the  water  first  rippled  over  the  deck,  though  scarce 
noticed  at  the  time,  haunted  me  for  months  after. 
But  at  the  actual  moment,  the  struggle  for  life  left 
no  freedom  for  backward-looking  considerations, 
and  I  was  already  making  for  a  piece  of  timber  that 
floated  not  far  off,  when,  on  looking  around  more 
carefully,  I  descried  at  some  distance  the  ship’s 
boat ;  she  had  been  dragged  after  us  thus  far  at  a 
long  tow,  Arab  fashion,  though  who  had  cut  her 
rope  before  the  ship  foundered  was  what  no  one  of 


SHIP  WRECK  OX  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN.  311 


us  could  ever  discover.  Slie  had  now  drifted  some 
sixty  yards  off,  and  was  dancing  like  an  empty  nut¬ 
shell  on  the  ocean. 

“  Being,  like  the  Spanish  sailors  in  ‘Don  Juan,’ 
well  aware  ‘  That  a  tight  boat  will  live  in  a  rough 
sea,  Unless  with  breakers  close  beneath  her  lee,’  I 
gave  up  the  plank,  and  struck  out  for  the  new  hope 
of  safety.  By  the  time  I  had  reached  her,  three  of 
the  crew  had  already  established  themselves  there 
before  me  ;  they  lent  me  a  hand  to  clamber  in  ; 
others  now  came  up,  and  before  long  nine  men,  be¬ 
sides  the  lad,  nephew  of  the  captain,  were  in  her, 
closely  packed.  So  soon  as  I  found  myself  in  this 
ark  of  respite,  though  not  of  safety,  I  bethought 
me  of  Yoosef,  whom  I  had  not  seen  since  the  mo¬ 
ment  of  our  wreck.  He  was  not  along  with  us  ;  but 
while,  scarce  hoping,  I  shouted  out  his  name  over 
the  waters  to  give  him  a  chance  of  a  signal,  1  Here 
I  am,  master,  God  be  praised !’  answered  the  drip¬ 
ping  head  ;  and  we  hauled  him  in  to  take  his  for¬ 
tune  with  the  rest. 

“  We  were  now  twelve — namely,  the  captain,  his 
nephew,  the  pilot,  and  four  of  the  crew ;  the  re¬ 
maining  five  consisted  of  one  of  the  passengers 
from  ’Okdali — for  the  other  had  gone  down  in  the 
ship—  the  runaway  scapegrace  of  Manfoohali,  and  a 
native  of  Soroeyk,  besides  Yoosef  and  myself. 
Three  others  at  this  moment  came  swimming  up, 
and  wished  to  enter,  but  the  boat,  calculated  to 
contain  eight  or  nine  at  most,  was  already  overload¬ 
ed,  especially  for  so  mad  a  sea,  and  to  admit  a  new 
burden  was  out  of  the  question.  However,  tlie 


812 


TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 


poor  fellows  got  hold  of  a  spare  yardarm,  which 
had  floated  up  from  the  sunken  vessel.  This  we 
made  last  to  the  boat’s  stern  by  a  rope,  and  thus 

look  ilie  three  in  tow  clinging  to  it,  two  passengers 
and  a  sailor. 

“ Four  oars  were  stowed  in  the  boat,  and  her 
rudder,  unshipped,  lay  in  the  bottom,  along  with  a 
small  iron  anchor  and  an  extra  plank  or  two.  The 
anchor  was  without  delay  heaved  overboard  by  the 
pilot  and  myself  as  a  superfluous  weight,  and  so 
were  the  planks.  Meanwhile,  some  of  the  sailors 
pi  epared  to  do  as  much  for  the  passengers,  observ¬ 
ing,  not  without  a  certain  show  of  reason  on  their 
side,  that  with  so  many  on  board,  there  could  be 
remarkably  little  hope  of  ever  reaching  shore;  that 
the  boat  was  after  all  the  sailors’  right,  and  the  rest 
might  manage  on  the  beam  astern  as  best  they 
could.  Fortunately  during  the  voyage  I  had  be¬ 
come  a  particular  friend  of  the  captain  and  pilot, 
besides  earning  the  special  goodwill  of  a  merry’ 
sturdy  young  seaman  now  in  the  boat.  So  I  ad¬ 
dressed  myself  to  them  first,  and  then  to  all  the 
ciew,  and  declared  the  expulsory  proposition  to  be 
utterly  unjust,  wicked,  and  not  fit  for  discussion,  and 
then,  to  cut  short  reply,  I  proceeded,  aided  by  the 
pilot,  who  seconded  me  manfully  throughout,  to  dis¬ 
tribute  the  oars  among  the  sailors ;  as  indeed  it  was 
high  time  to  do,  in  order  to  steady  the  boat,  over 
which  every  wave  now  broke,  threatening  to  send 
us  to  the  bottom  after  her  old  companion.  The 
captain  took  post  at  the  rudder,  while  the  pilot  and 
myself  set  to  baling  out  the  waUw  partly  with  a 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN.  313 


leathern  bucket  which  one  of  the  crew  had  kept  the 
presence  of  mind  to  bring  with  him  from  the  ship, 
(holding  the  handle  between  his  teeth  no  less  clev¬ 
erly  than  Caesar  did  his  sword  off  the  Alexandrian 
Pharos,)  and  partly  with  a  large  scoop  belonging  to 
the  boat;  both  implements  were  in  constant  requi¬ 
sition,  since  every  bucketful  or  scoopful  of  water 
thrown  out,  was  by  the  next  wave  repaid  with  usu¬ 
ry,  so  fiercely  did  the  storm  rage  around. 

“The  Sonnee  of  Djebel-’Okdah  sat  up  in  the 
boat,  repeating  verses  of  the  Koran  ;  the  captain’s 
nephew  showed  extraordinary  spirit  for  a  boy  of  his 
age ;  the  sailors  managed  their  oars  with  much  skill 
and  courage,  keeping  us  carefully  athwart  the  roll  of 
the  sea;  the  rest,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  Yoosef 
for  one,  were  so  terribly  frightened  that  they  had 
completely  lost  their  wits,  and  lay  like  dead  men 
amid  the  water  in  the  boat’s  bottom,  neither  raising 
a  head  nor  saying  a  word. 

“  Indeed,  our  position,  though  not  wholly  without 
a  gleam  of  hope,  seemed  very  nearly  desperate. 
We  were  in  an  open,  overloaded  boat,  her  move¬ 
ments  yet  further  embarrassed  by  the  beam  in  tow, 
far  out  at  sea — so  far  as  to  be  quite  beyond  view  of 
coast,  though  the  high  shore  hereabouts  can  be  seen 
at  a  long  distance,  even  by  moonlight — with  a  howl- 
iug  wind,  every  moment  on  the  increase,  and  tear¬ 
ing  waves  like  huge  monsters  coming  on  as  though 
with  purpose  to  swallow  us  up.  What  reasonable 
chance  had  we  of  ever  reaching  land  ?  All  de- 
p  ended  on  the  steerage  and  on  the  balance  and 
support  afioided  by  the  oars;  and  even  more  still 


314 


TEA  YELS  IN  ARABIA. 


on  the  providence  of  Him  who  made  the  deep  ;  nor 
indeed  could  I  get  myself  to  think  that  He  had 
brought  me  thus  far  to  let  me  drown,  just  at  the 
end  of  my  journey,  and  in  so  very  unsatisfactory  a 
way,  too  ;  for  had  we  then  gone  down,  what  news 
of  the  events  off  Sowadah  would  ever  have  reached 
home?  Or  when?  So  that,  altogether,  I  felt  con¬ 
fident  of  gettiug  somehow  or  another  on  shore, 
though  by  what  means  I  did  not  exactly  know. 
The  Mahometans  on  board,  (they  were  two,) — so 
at  least,  poor  fellows,  their  demeanor  seemed  to 
show — prayed  as  best  they  might;  the  Biadeeyali 
mostly  kept  silence,  or  exchanged  a  few  words  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  management  of  the  boat,  while  the 
young  sailor  already  mentioned  cracked  jokes  as 
coolly  as  though  he  had  been  in  his  cottage  on 
shore,  making  the  rest  laugh  in  spite  of  themselves, 
and  thus  keeping  up  their  spirits — the  best  thing 
just  then  to  be  done,  for  to  lose  heart  would  have 
been  to  lose  all. 

“From  an  idea  that  so  learned  a  man  (in  Arab  es¬ 
timation)  as  I,  ought,  among  other  acquirements, 
to  be  better  acquainted  with  the  chart  than  any  one 
else,  and  perhaps,  too,  because  I  seemed  to  be  less 
thrown  out  of  my  reckonings  than  most  of  our 
party,  all  referred  to  me  for  the  direction  of  our  ha¬ 
zardous  course.  By  the  stars,  a  few  of  which  were 
dimly  visible  between  mist  and  moonlight,  I  guessed 
the  whereabouts  of  shore.  It  lay  almost  due 
south  ;  but  the  hurricane  had  now  veered  and  blew 
from  between  west  and  north ;  hence  we  were 
obliged  to  follow  a  southeasterly  line,  in  order  to 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN. 


315 


avoid  the  sudden  destruction  of  giving  a  broadside 
to  the  waves.  Once  sure  of  this  point,  I  made  the 
men  keep  our  boat’s  head  steady  on  the  tack  just 
explained,  and  for  a  long  hour  we  pulled  on,  baling 
out  the  water  every  moment,  and  encouraging  each 
other  to  keep  up  good  heart ;  that  land  could  not 
be  far  off.  At  last  I  saw,  by  the  milky  moonlight,  a 
rock  which  I  remembered  sighting  on  the  previous 
afternoon  ;  it  was  the  Rock  of  Djeyn,  an  outlying 
point  of  the  Sowadah  group,  and  now  at  some  dis¬ 
tance  on  our  leeboard.  ‘  Courage !’  I  cried  out, 
‘  there  is  Djeyn.’  ‘  Say  it  again,  say  it  again  ;  God 
bless  you  !’  they  all  exclaimed,  as  though  the  repeti¬ 
tion  of  the  good  news  would  make  it  of  yet  better 
augury  ;  but  I  perceived  that  none  of  them  had 
his  senses  enough  about  him  to  see  the  black  peak, 
which  now  loomed  distant  over  the  sea.  4  Is  it 
near?’  asked  he  of  Djebel-’Okdah.  ‘Close  by,’  I 
answered,  with  a  slight  inaccuracy,  which  the  duty 
of  cheering  the  crew'  might,  I  hope,  excuse.  ‘  Pull 
away,  we  shall  soon  pass  it.’  But  in  my  own  indi¬ 
vidual  thought  I  much  doubted  the  wrhile  whether 
we  ever  should,  so  rapidly  did  the  boat  fill  from  the 
spray  around,  while  a  moment’s  mis -steerage  would 
have  sent  us  all  to  the  bottom. 

“  Another  hour  of  struggle  ;  it  wras  past  midnight 
or  thereabouts,  and  the  storm,  instead  of  abating, 
blew  stronger  and  stronger.  A  passenger,  one  of 
the  three  on  the  beam  astern,  felt  too  numb  and 
wearied  out  to  retain  his  hold  by  the  spar  any 
longer  ;  he  left  it,  and  swimming  with  a  desperate 
effort  up  to  the  boat,  begged  in  God’s  name  to  be 


316 


TRAVELS  IX  ARABIA. 


taken  in.  Some  were  for  granting  liis  request, 
others  for  denying  ;  at  last  two  sailors,  moved  with 
pity,  laid  hold  of  his  arms  where  he  clung  to  tho 
boat  s  side,  and  helped  him  in.  We  were  now  thir¬ 
teen  together,  and  the  boat  rode  lower  down  in  the 
water  and  with  more  danger  than  ever ;  it  was  liter- 
ally  a  hand’s  breadth  between  life  and  death. 
Soon  after  another,  Ibraheem  by  name,  and  also  a 
passenger,  made  a  similar  attempt  to  gain  admit¬ 
tance.  To  comply  would  have  been  sheer  madness, 
but  the  poor  wretch  clung  to  the  gunwale  and 
struggled  to  clamber  over,  till  the  nearest  of  tho 
crew,  after  vainly  entreating  him  to  quit  hold  and 
return  to  the  beam,  saying :  £  It  is  your  only 

chance  of  life,  you  must  keep  to  it,’  loosened  his 
grasp  by  main  force,  and  flung  him  back  into  the 
sea,  where  he  disappeared  forever.  ‘Has  Ibra¬ 
heem  reached  you  ?’  called  out  the  captain  to  the 
sailor  now  alone  astride  of  the  spar.  ‘  Ibraheem  is 
drowned,’  came  the  answer  across  the  waves.  ‘  Is 
drowned,’  all  repeated  in  an  undertone,  adding, 

1  ancl  we  too,  shall  soon  be  drowned  also.’  For  in 
fact,  such  seemed  the  on^y  probable  end  of  all  our 
endeavors.  For  the  storm  redoubled  in  violence  ; 
the  baling  could  no  longer  keep  up  with  the  rate  at 
which  the  waves  entered;  the  boat  became  water¬ 
logged  ;  the  water  poured  in,  hissing  on  every  side  ; 
she  was  sinking,  and  we  were  yet  far  out  in  the 
open  sea. 

Ikhamoo,’  plunge  for  it,  a  second  time  shouted 
the  captain.  ‘  Plunge  who  may,  I  will  stay  by  the 
boat  so  long  as  she  stays  by  me,’  thought  I,  and 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OH  AN.  317 


kept  my  place.  Yoosef,  fortunately  for  him,  was 
lying  like  a  corpse,  past  fear  or  motion ;  b  ut  four  of 
our  party,  one  a  sailor,  the  other  three  passengers, 
thinking  that  all  hope  of  the  boat  was  now  over, 
and  that  nothing  remained  them  but  the  spar,  or 
Heaven  knows  what,  jumped  into  the  sea.  Their 
loss  saved  the  remainder ;  the  boat  lightened  and 
righted  for  a  moment ;  the  pilot  and  I  baled  away 
desperately ;  she  rose  clear  once  more  of  the  water; 
those  in  her  were  now  nine  in  all — eight  men  and  a 
boy,  the  captain’s  nephew. 

“  Meanwhile  the  sea  was  running  mountains,  and 
during  the  paroxysm  of  struggle,  while  the  boat 
pitched  heavily,  the  cord  attached  from  her  stern  to 
the  beam,  snapped  asunder.  One  man  was  on  the 
spar  ;  yet  a  minute  or  so  the  moonlight  showed  us 
the  head  of  the  five  swimmers  as  they  strove  to  re¬ 
gain  the  boat.  Had  they  done  it  we  were  all  lost ; 
then  a  huge  wave  separated  them  from  us.  ‘  May 
God  have  mercy  on  the  poor  drowning  men!’  ex¬ 
claimed  the  captain.  Their  bodies  were  washed 
ashore  off  Seeb  three  or  four  days  later.  We  now 
remained  sole  survivors,  if  indeed  we  were  to  prove 
so. 

“  Our  men  rowed  hard,  and  the  night  wore  on  ;  at 
last  the  coast  came  in  full  view.  Before  us  was  a 
high  black  rock,  jutting  out  into  the  foaming  sea, 
whence  it  rose  sheer,  like  the  wall  of  a  fortress ;  at 
some  distance  on  the  left  a  peculiar  glimmer  and  a 
long,  white  line  of  breakers  assured  me  of  the  exis¬ 
tence  of  an  even  and  sandy  beach.  The  three  sail¬ 
ors  now  at  the  oars,  and  the  man  of  ’Okdali,  who 


318 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA. 


had  taken  the  place  of  the  fourth,  grown  reckless 
by  long  toil  under  the  momentary  expectation  of 
death,  and  longing  to  see  an  end  anyhow  to  this 
protracted  misery,  were  for  pushing  the  boat  on  the 
locks,  because  the  nearest  land,  and  thus  having  it 
all  o\ei  as  soon  as  possible.  This  would  have  been 
certain  destruction.  The  captain  and  pilot,  well- 
nigh  stupefied  by  what  they  had  undergone,  offered 
no  opposition.  I  saw  that  a  vigorous  effort  must 
be  made,  so  I  laid  hold  of  them  both,  shook  them 
to  arouse  their  attention,  and  bade  them  take  heed 
to  what  the  rowers  were  about,  adding  that  it  was 
slieei  suicide,  and  that  our  only  hope  of  life  was  to 
bear  up  for  the  sandy  creek,  which  I  pointed  out 
to  them  at  a  short  distance. 

“  Thus  awakened  from  their  lethargy,  they  start¬ 
ed  up  and  joined  me  in  expostulating  with  the  sail¬ 
ors.  But  the  men  doggedly  answered  that  they 
could  hold  out  no  more  j  that  whatever  land  was 
nearest  they  would  make  for  it,  come  what  might, 

and  with  this  they  pulled  on  straight  towards  the 
cliff. 

The  captain  hastily  thrust  the  rudder  into  the 
pilot’s  hand,  and  springing  on  one  of  the  sailors, 
pushed  him  from  the  bench  and  seized  his  oar, 
while  I  did  the  same  to  another  on  the  opposite 
side,  and  we  now  got  the  boat’s  head  round  towards 
the  bay.  The  refractory  sailors,  ashamed  of  their 
own  faintheartedness,  begged  pardon,  and  prom¬ 
ised  to  act  henceforth  according  to  our  orders.  We 
gave  them  back  their  oars,  very  glad  to  see  a  strife 
%o  dangerous,  especiallj7  at  such  a  moment,  soon  at 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN. 


319 


an  end,  and  the  men  pulled  for  the  left,  though  full 
half  an  hour’s  rowing  jet  remained  between  us  and 
the  breakers,  and  the  course  which  we  had  to  hold 
was  more  hazardous  than  before,  because  it  laid  the 
boat  almost  parallel  with  the  sweep  of  the  water. 
But  half  an  hour,  yet  I  thought  we  should  never 
come  opposite  the  desired  spot. 

“  At  last  we  neared  it,  and  then  a  new  danger  ap¬ 
peared.  The  first  row  of  breakers,  rolling  like  a 
cataract,  was  still  far  off  shore,  at  least  a  hundred 
yards,  and  between  it  and  the  beach  appeared  a 
white  yeast  of  raging  waters,  evidently  ten  or 
twelve  feet  deep,  through  which,  weary  as  we  all 
were,  and  benumbed  with  the  night  chill  and  the 
unceasing  splash  of  the  spray  over  us,  I  felt  it  to 
be  very  doubtful  whether  we  should  have  strength 
to  struggle.  But  there  was  no  avoiding  it,  and 
when  we  drew  near  the  long  white  line,  which  glit¬ 
tered  like  a  witch  fire  in  the  night,  I  called  out  to 
Yoosef  and  the  lad,  both  of  whom  lay  plunged  in 
deathlike  stupor,  to  rise  and  get  ready  for  the  hard 
swim  now  inevitable.  They  stood  up,  the  sailors 
laid  aside  their  oars,  and  a  moment  after,  the  curl¬ 
ing  wave  capsized  the  boat,  and  sent  her  down  as 
though  she  had  been  struck  by  a  cannon-shot, 
while  we  remained  to  fight  for  our  lives  in  the  sea. 

“  Confident  in  my  own  swimming  powers,  but 
doubtful  how  far  those  of  Yoosef  might  reach,  I  at 
once  turned  to  look  for  him,  and  seeing  him  close 
by  me  in  the  water,  I  caught  hold  of  him,  telling 
him  to  hold  fast  and  I  would  help  him  to  land. 
But  with  much  presence  of  mind  he  thrust  back  my 


TEA  VELS  IX  ARABIA. 


3:0 

grasp,  exclaiming :  ‘  Save  yourself,  I  am  a  good 
swimmer,  never  fear  for  me  !’  The  captain  and  the 
young  sailor  laid  hold  of  the  boy,  the  captain’s  ne¬ 
phew,  one  on  either  side,  and  struck  out  with  him 
for  the  shore.  It  was  a  desperate  effort ;  every 
wave  overwhelmed  us  in  its  burst  and  carried  us 
back  in  its  eddy,  while  I  drank  much  more  salt 
water  than  was  at  all  desirable.  At  last,  after  some 
minutes  long  as  hours,  I  touched  land,  and  scram¬ 
bled  up  the  sandy  beach  as  though  the  avenger  of 
blood  had  been  behind  me.  One  by  one  the  rest 
came  ashore — some  stark  naked,  having  cast  off'  or 
lost  their  remaining  clothes  in  the  whirling  eddies  ; 
others  yet  retaining  some  part  of  their  dress.  Every¬ 
one  looked  around  to  see  whether  his  companions 
arrived,  and  when  all  nine  stood  together  on  the 
beach,  all  cast  themselves  prostrate  on  the  sands  to 
thank  Heaven  for  a  new  1-ease  of  life  granted  af\er 
much  danger  and  so  many  comrades  lost. 

“  Then  rising,  they  ran  to  embrace  each  cfflier, 
laughed,  cried,  sobbed,  danced.  I  never  saw  men 
so  completely  unnerved  as  they  on  this  first  mo¬ 
ment  of  sudden  safety.  One  grasped  the  ground 
with  his  hands,  crying  out,  £  Is  this  really  land  we 
are  on  ?’  Another  said,  ‘  And  where  are  our  com¬ 
panions  ?’  A  third,  ‘  God  have  mercy  on  the  dead ; 
let  us  now  thank  Him  for  our  own  lives  !’  A  fourth 
stood  bewildered  ;  all  their  long  and  hard-stretched 
self-possession  gave  way.  Yoosef  had  lost  his  last 
lag  of  dress;  1  had,  fortunately,  yet  on  two  long 
Hurts,  (one  is  still  by  me,)  reaching  down  to  the 
feet,  Arab  fashion.  I  now  gave  my  companion  one, 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  OF  OMAN. 


321 


keeping  the  other  for  myself ;  my  red  skull-cap  had 
also  held  firm  on  my  head,  so  that  I  was  as  well  ofi 
01  better  than  any.  4  We  may  count  this  day  foi 
the  day  of  our  birth;  it  is  a  new  life  after  death,’ 
said  the  young  Omanee  sailor.  4  There  have  been 
others  praying  for  us  at  home,  and  for  their  sake 
God  has  saved  us,’  added  the  pilot,  thinking  of  his 
family  and  children.  4  True  ;  and  more  so,  perhaps, 
than  you  know  of,’  replied  I,  remembering  some  yet 
further  distant. 

While  we  were  thus  conversing,  and  beginning 
to  look  around  and  wonder  on  what  part  of  the 
coast  we  had  landed,  the  distant  sound  of  a  gun 
was  heard  on  the  right.  4  That  must  be  the  mora¬ 
ls  gun  of  Seeb,  said  the  captain.  Seeb,  being  a 
foitified  town,  and  often  a  royal  residence,  has  the 
privilege  of  a  garison  and  artillery ;  now,  +rom  the 
whereabouts  of  our  wreck,  opposite  Sowadah,  we 
could  not  be  very  far  thence.  We  were  yet  discuss¬ 
ing  this  point,  when  another  gun  made  itself  heard 
fiom  inland.  That  must  be  from  the  palace  at 
Bathat-F arzuh  ’  (the  valley  of  Farzah),  said  another. 

4  Thoweynee  is  certainly  there,  for  the  palace  guns 

nevei  file  excej^t  when  the  Sultan  is  in  residence 
with  his  court.’ 

It  was  now  the  first  glimmer  of  doubtful  dawn, 
and  the  wind,  sweeping  furiously  along  the  beach, 
rendeied  some  shelter  necessary;  tor  we  were  drip¬ 
ping  and  chilled  to  the  bone.  So  we  crept  to  lee- 
\\  ai  d  of  a  cluster  of  bushes,  and  there  each  dug  out 
for  himself  a  long  trench  in  the  sand  ;  and  after 
having  thus  put  ourselves  in  some  degree  under 


322 


TEA  VELS  IN  ARABIA . 


cover,  we  waited  for  the  morning,  which  seemed  as 
though  it  would  never  come.  At  last  the  moonlight 
faded  away,  and  the  sun  rose,  though  his  rays  did 
not  reach  us  quite  so  soon  as  we  should  have 
desired,  for  the  creek  where  we  had  landed  was 
bordered  on  either  side  by  high  hills,  shutting  out 
the  horizon.  These  hills  ended  in  precipices  towards 
the  sea  ;  on  the  left  was  the  very  rock  on  which  the 
despairing  impatience  of  the  crew  had  almost  driven 
us  the  night  before  ;  it  looked  horrible.  The  wind 
yet  blew  high,  and  we  were  shivering  with  cold  in 
our  scanty  clothing.  Those  who,  like  myself,  had 
come  on  shore  with  more  than  what  was  absolutely 
necessary  for  decency,  had  shared  it  with  those  who 
had  nothing. 

“  When  the  sunbeams  at  last  struck  over  the  hill¬ 
side  on  the  right,  we  hastened  to  warm  ourselves 
and  to  dry  our  apparel — a  task  speedily  performed 
with  so  slender  a  wardrobe.  Next  we  reconnoitred 
the  position,  with  which  some  of  the  crew  found 
themselves  to  be  not  wholly  unacquainted.  It  was 
a  little  to  the  east  of  Seeb ;  but  between  us  and  that 
town  was  a  high  and  broad  range  of  rocks,  on  which 
our  naked  feet  had  no  great  disposition  to  venture  ; 
on  the  west  we  were  hemmed  in  by  a  corresponding 
barrier.  But  landwards  the  valley  ran  up  sandy  be¬ 
tween  the  hills,  and  in  that  direction  appeared  an 
easier  path,  leading  ultimately,  so  the  sailors 
averred,  to  the  Sultan’s  country  palace — the  same 
whence  we  had  heard  the  night  gun,  nor  could  it  be 
very  far  off.  Once  at  the  palace,  all  reckoned  on 
the  well-known  liberality  of  Thoweynee  for  obtain- 


SHIPWRECK  ON  T1IE  COAST  OF  OMAN.  323 


ing  assistance.  Thither  we  resolved  to  go  ;  jet  be¬ 
fore  setting  out  we  turned  back  to  look  once  more 
on  the  sea,  still  raging  in  mad  fury.  Not  a  trace  of 
our  saviour  boat  appeared,  not  a  sail  in  sight, 
though  the  day  before  (a  day  that  now  seemed  a 
year  ago),  there  had  been  many.  Ten  large  vessels, 
part  belonging  to  the  Persian  coast,  part  to  the 
Omanee,  had  gone  down  besides  our  own,  close  to 
the  Sowadah  rocks,  that  very  night ;  three,  as  I 
afterwards  learned,  perished  with  every  soul  on 
board  ;  from  one  alone  the  entire  crew  escaped  ;  the 
rest  lost,  some  more,  some  less ;  we  had,  at  any 
rate,  companions  in  misfortune.  Gazing  on  the 
ocean,  every  one  made  aloud  the  ordinary  resolution 
of  shipwrecked  sailors  never  to  attempt  the  faith¬ 
less  element  again  ;  a  resolution  kept,  I  doubt  not, 
as  steadily  as  most  such — that  is,  for  a  fortnight  or 
three  weeks. 

“We  then  proceeded  to  toil  southwards  across 
sands  and  slopes  in  quest  of  the  king’s  residence. 

‘  A  sorry  plight,’  said  I  to  Yoosef,  *  for  us  to  present 
ourselves  in  before  his  majesty.  Were  the  gifts 
along  with  us,  our  visit  might  be  more  to  the  pur¬ 
pose.’  Yoosef  sighed  ;  that  part  of  our  misadventure 
fell  indeed  mainly  on  him.  For  myself,  I  had  of 
course  lost  every  article  retained  since  our  parting 
with  Aboo-’Eysa.  What  annoyed  me  more  seriously 
was  the  loss  of  all  my  notes,  taken  from  January 
23d,  up  to  the  present  date,  namely,  March  10th, 
and  herein  must  lie  my  apology  for  a  certain  amount 
of  omission  and  incompleteness  during  the  part  of 
my  story  included  between  those  periods,  perhaps 


324 


TEA  VELS  IE  ARABIA. 


even  some  involuntary  inaccuracies.  To  the  disap¬ 
pearance  of  my  cash  in  hand  I  was  less  sensible, 
though  in  fact  it  was  scarcely  a  joke  to  lind  oneself 
penniless,  with  a  penniless  and  nearly  naked  com¬ 
panion,  in  a  strange  land,  and  far  from  friends  or 
resources.  But  all  this  was  a  tritle  compared  to  the 
mishap  of  the  captain — deprived  of  ship,  cargo, 
and  everything  except  the  shirt  on  his  back.  The 
rest  of  the  crew  were,  in  proportion,  no  better  otf*. 
However,  several  had  lost  what  was  far  more  essen¬ 
tial — their  lives ;  and  in  comparison  with  them  we 
might  well  deem  ourselves  fortunate.” 

Walking  until  nearly  noon,  they  reached  the 
palace  of  the  JSultan,  a  large  and  handsome  build¬ 
ing,  in  a  fertile  valley.  The  ruler,  who  was  seated 
in  the  portico,  reviewing  some  troops,  listened  to 
the  captain’s  story  with  an  air  of  compassion,  and 
then  ordered  that  all  should  be  fed  and  clothed.  In 
the  evening  one  of  the  Sultan’s  ministers  sent  for 
Palgrave,  who  saw  that  his  assumed  character  was 
suspected.  As  there  were  several  natives  of  Nedjed 
at  the  court,  the  discovery  of  his  nationality  might 
have  been  carried  back  to  their  country,  to  the  pre¬ 
judice,  and  possibly  danger,  of  his  friend  Aboo- 
'Eysa.  For  this  reason,  only — for  there  could  have 
been  now  no  further  risk  to  himself,  in  discovery — 
he  resolved  to  leave  the  palace,  and  make  his  way 
directly  to  Muscat.  Accompanied  by  Yoosef,  he 
arrived  there  after  a  barefoot  march  of  two  days, 
and  felt  that  his  secret  was  at  last  safe. 

He  was  obliged,  however,  to  give  up  all  idea  of 
exploring  the  interior  of  Oman.  He  already  felt 


SHIPWRECK  ON  THE  COAST  01  OMAN.  325 

the  coming  symptoms  of  a  typhus  fever,  the  result 
of  so  many  hardships  and  exposures;  and  on  the 
23rd  of  March  set  sail,  with  Yoosef,  for  Busheer. 
The  fever  developed  itself  on  the  voyage,  and  when 
the  vessel  arrived,  it  was  necessary  to  carry  him  to 
the  house  of  Aboo-’Eysa.  Here  he  lay  in  a  state 
of  semi-delirium  until  the  arrival  of  the  English 
steamer,  to  the  surgeon  of  which  and  the  kindness 
of  the  officers,  he  was  probably  indebted  for  his 
recovery. 

After  regaining  his  strength  at  Bagdad,  where  he 
found  his  faithful  Barakat,  Palgrave  returned  to 
Syria  by  way  of  Mosul  and  Aleppo,  having  com¬ 
pleted  the  most  important  and  interesting  journey 
aver  yet  made  by  any  traveller  in  Arabia. 


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it  cannot  but  occur  to  you  that  somehow  it  seems  harder  to  be  a  good  knight  nowadays 
than  it  was  then.  .  .  .  Nevertheless  the  same  qualities  which  made  a  manful  fighter  then, 
make  one  now.  To  speak  the  very  truth  ;  to  perform  a  promise  to  the  utmost;  to  rever¬ 
ence  all  women;  to  maintain  right  and  honesty;  to  help  the  weak;  to  treat  high  and  low 
with  courtesy  ;  to  be  constant  to  one  love  ;  to  be  fair  to  a  bitter  foe  ;  to  despise  luxury  ;  to 
pursue  simplicity,  modesty,  and  gentleness  in  heart  and  bearing,  —  this  was  in  the  oath  of 
the  young  knight  who  took  the  stroke  upon  him  in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  this  is 
•till  the  way  to  win  love  and  glory  in  the  nineteenth.”  —  Extract  from  the  Preface. 


*  ff  For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  postpaid ,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


A  New  Edition  at  Reduced  Price 


ABOUT  OLD  STORY-TELLERS. 

OP  HOW  AND  WHEN  THEY  LIVED,  AND  WHAT  STORIES 

THEY  TOLD. 


By  DONALD  G.  MITCHELL, 

AUTHOR  OF  “THE  REVERIES  OF  A  BACHELOR,”  ETC.,  ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  long  silence  of  this  favorite  author  is  at  length  broken,  and  it  is  the  young  people 
whom  he  now  invites  to  the  feast  which  he  has  prepared  for  them.  The  somewhat 
quaint  title  of  the  book  faithfully  indicates  its  contents. 

In  the  Preface,  which  is  addressed  to  “  Grown-up  People,”  Mr.  Mitchell  very  charm¬ 
ingly  says,  “  In  the  matter  of  books,  as  in  the  world,  I  believe  in  old  friends,  and  don’t 
think  they  should  be  laid  away  upon  the  shelf  without  good  cause  ;  and  age  is  hardly 
cause  enough.  In  short,  I  must  confess  a  lurking  fondness  for  those  good,  old-fashionea 
stories  which  were  current  forty  years  ago, — ant!  some  of  them  maybe  a  hundred  years 
ago,  —  written  in  good,  straightforward  English,  with  good,  straightforward  intent.” 


***T'or  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent,  prepaid,  vpon  receipt  of  price ,  by 

Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


A  Sew  Hook  by  Frank  It,  Stockton . 


THE  FLOATING  PRINCE 

AND  OTHER  FAIRY  TALES. 


One  Yol.y  Quarto,  Extra  Cloth ,  $2,60 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  BENSELL  AND  OTHERS. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  NASSIMIA  AFLOAT. 

Mr.  Stockton’s  name  alone  is  enough  to  make  the  announcement  of  his  new  collec¬ 
tion  of  stones  bring  a  smile  of  glad  anticipation  to  the  faces  of  those  who  have  laughed 
over  his  Rudder  Grange  and  Jolly  Fellowship,  and  remember  those  excellent  books 
Roundabout  Rambles  and  Tales  out  of  School,  which  are  now  reissued  in  new  edi¬ 
tions  in  an  attractive  style. 

With  “The  Floating  Prince”  are  published  “The  Reformed  Pirate”  “How  the 
Aristocrats  Sailed  Away,”  and  several  equally  good  Fairy  Tales,  all  of  which  are  illus¬ 
trated  in  the  most  captivating  style. 


*  *  I*  or  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  prepaid,  upon  receipt  of  price ,  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


A  Jolly  Fellowship. 


BY 

Frank  E.  Stockton, 

Author  of 

judder  (grange . 

One  vol.  i2mo.  Extra  Cloth. 

gltofratfd* 

Price, . $1.50 


Mr.  Stockton  has  given  so  many 
proofs  of  his  powers  to  interest 
and  amuse  young  people,  that  a 
new  book  from  his  pen  will  not 
fail  of  a  hearty  welcome. 

“A  Jolly  Fellowship”  is  the 
story  of  the  adventures  of  two 
school-boys,  who  make  a  vacation 
trip  to  Florida.  They  form  a  fast 
friendship  with  a  young  girl  of 
their  own  age,  who  is  traveling 
there  with  her  parents,  and  the 
league  which  they  make  is  the 
“  jolly  fellowship.”  They  have  a 
good  many  adventures,  get  into 
all  sorts  of  scrapes,  and  have  a 
good  time  generally. 

Some  of  their  experiences  are 
very  funny,  and  so  are  many  of 
the  characters  they  fall  in  with. 

The  pictures,  by  Mr.  Kelly, 
have  unusual  merit,  and  are  ex¬ 
actly  in  keeping  with  the  text 
they  illustrate. 


***  For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  prepaid,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 


Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  publishers, 

;43  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


New  Editions  of  Old  Favorites 


ROUNDABOUT  RAMBLES 

IN  LANDS  OF  FAOT  AND  FICTION, 

By  FRANK  R.  STOCKTON. 

One  Vol.,  Quarto.  Boards ,  With  very  attractive  Lithographed  Cover.  370  Cages, 

200  Illustrations. 

Brice  reduced  from  $3.00  to  -  -  _  _  _  _ 


Uniform  with  “  lion n <1  about  Hambies,” 

TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL. 

A  > eu t  h 'diiion.  Brice  reduced  from  $3.00  to  -  $1.50 


The  constant  demand  for  Mr.  Stockton’s  popular  books,  which  has  already  exhausted 
two  large  editions,  leads  the  publishers  to  re-issue  them  in  a  new  ind  attractive  form  at 
a  reduced  price  to  command  a  popular  sale.  « 


**  ‘  f'orsale  by  all  bookseller s ,  or  will  be  sent,  p>  efaid,  upon  receipt  oj  price,  by 

Charlfs  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK". 


A  Novel  of  Boy  Life. 


PHAETON  ROGERS. 

By  ROSSITER  JOHNSON. 

One  Vol.f  Square  12mo.  Illustrated.  Handsomely  bound ,  -  -  $1.&0 


The  action  in  this  capital  story  grows  mainly  out  of  the  hero's  inventive  faculty, 
which  manifests  itself  in  horizontal  balloon  ascensions  and  artificial  comets,  as  weV 
in  quieter  and  more  useful  mechanical  problems.  Other  characters  contribute  their 
share — Isaac  Holman,  the  learned  boy,  Jimmy  Redmond,  the  poetical  boy,  and  Ned 
Rogers,  brother  of  the  hero,  the  impulsive  and  blundering  boy. 


* For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent  prepaid ,  upon  receipt  of  price ,  by 

Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


“  For  children ,  what  could  be  better  as  a  Christmas  gift  than  a  copy  of  Airs.  Dodge's 
I  Ians  Brinker;  or,  the  Silver  Skates,  of  which  we  are  now  given  a  new  and 
beautiful  edition  ?  This  is  one  of  the  most  charming  of  juvenile  stories ,  dealing  with 
Jresh  scenes  and  a  strange  life ,  and  told  with  sweet  simplicity  and  great  beauty.”  —  Con- 
GREGATIONALIST.  J 


A  NEW  ILLUSTRATED  EDITION  OT 

HANS  BRINKER: 

Or,  THE  SILVER  SKATES. 

A  STORY  OF  LIFE  IN  HOLLAND. 

By  Mrs.  MARY  MAPES  DODGE, 

Author  of  “Rhymes  and  Jingles,”  and  Editor  of  “St.  Nicholas.” 

WITH  TWELVE  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


HANS  BRINKER;  or,  THE  SILVER  SKATES,  Is  one  of  those  stories  which  is 
destined  to  be  a  source  of  perennial  delight  to  generation  after  generation  of  children.  It 
tells  of  life  in  Holland,  a  country  which  changes  so  little  that  a  story  of  people  who 
lived  there  twenty  years  ago  might  be  told  of  to-day  as  well;  and  it  is  marked  through 
out  by  a  vivacity,  a  freshness,  and  a  healthy  vigor,  which  goes  straight  to  the  heart  o< 
every  reader,  whether  he  be  old  or  young. 


***  For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent,  prepaid,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

Charles  Scribner’s  sons,  Publishers, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK 


A  Charming  New  Volume  for  Girls  and  Boys 


RHYMES  AND  JINGLES. 

A  Neiv  Edition ,  with  additions  and  New  Illustrations. 

One  Vol .,  Small  Quarto .  Cloth,  ______  $1.50 


Mrs.  MARY  MAPES  DODGE  is  not  only  one  of  the  best  editors  of  young  people’s 
literature,  but  one  of  the  best  of  living  writers  for  children.  Her  “Hans  Brinker”  in 
prose,  and  her  many  songs  and  brief-rhymed  stories  have  been  among  the  most  popular 
writings  of  their  kind  ever  published  in  America. 

In  the  present  volume  the  child-poems  by  her,  which  have  had  the  free  range  of  the 
newspaper  press  for  many  years,  are  now  brought  together  for  the  first  time.  Thousands 
of  children  who  have  learned  not  a  few  of  these  verses  by  heart  will  now,  for  the  first 
time,  discover  the  name  of  their  author.  “  Rhymes  and  Jingles  ”  are  not  written  about 
children  but  for  them,  and  some  of  them  have  been  pronounced  “without  rivals  in  our 
language.”  Every  child  should  have  a  copy  of  these  witty  and  beautiful  verses. 


*  For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  prepaid ,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


Noah  Brooks’  Books  for  Boys . 


THE  FAIRPORT  NINE. 

By  NOAH  BROOKS. 

One  Vol.f  12 mo.  Handsomely  botmd ,  - 


Like  Mr.  Brooks’s  Boy  Emigrants,  this  is  a  story  of  American  boys.  Although  it 
treats  of  a  base-ball  club,  it  is  by  no  means  exclusively  devoted  to  the  chronicles  of 
the  game. 

The  Fairport  Nine  have  their  closely  contested  matches  with  the  “White  Bears,’’ 
and  the  description  will  bring  vividly  before  every  lover  of  that  manly  sport  similar 
scenes  in  which  he  has  shared.  But  they  also  have  their  Fourth  of  July  frolic,  their 
military  company,  their  camp  in  the  woods,  and  the  finding  of  hidden  treasure  with 
many  boyish  episodes,  in  which  are  faithfully  portrayed  the  characteristic  features  of 
American  boys’  life  in  the  country.  It  is  a  capital  story,  with  a  manly  and  healthful 
tone,  and  will  go  straight  to  a  boy’s  heart. 


THE  BOY  EMIGRANTS. 

By  NOAH  BROOKS. 

One  Vol.,  12mo.,  cloth.  New  Edition,  -  $1.50 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  THOMAS  MORAN,  W.  L.  SHEPPARD,  and  others. 


The  Boy  Emigrants  is  a  story  of  the  adventures  of  a  party  of  young  gold  seekers  on 
the  Overland  Emigrant  Route,  and  in  California,  during  the  early  rush  to  the  mines. 
Since  the  author  was  himself  an  emigrant  of  this  description,  the  scenes  and  incidents 
are  drawn  from  life,  and  the  book  may  be  accepted  as  a  fresh  and  vivid  picture  of  life 
on  the  Plains  and  in  the  mines  from  an  entirely  novel  point  of  view. 

While  the  story  is  not  designed  to  be  a  history,  it  reproduces  in  a  graphic  and 
spirited  manner  the  wonderful  and  exceptional  phases  of  the  life  of  which  it  treats. 
The  illustrations  by  Moran,  Sheppard,  and  other  artists,  give  additional  attractiveness 
to  the  book. 

*:fFor  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  prepaid,  upon  receipt  of  price ,  by 

Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  Publishers, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


"'One  of  the  most  attractive  narratives  for  lads  that  has  been  written  in  many  a. 
day.  It  is  clean ,  breezy  and  natural. — N.  Y.  Home  Journal. 

DAB  KINZER. 

A  STORY  OF  A  GROWING  BOY. 

By  WILLIAM  O.  STODDARD. 

One  Vol.,  12 mo,  330  pages,  -  -  _____  $1.00 


Dab  Kinzer  is  one  of  the  delightful  tales  that  worthily  takes  rank  with  “  Phaeton 
Rogers,”  “A  Jolly  Fellowship,”  or  “Hans  Brinker.”  There  is  abundant  opportunity 
for  boy-heroism  and  manly  adventure  in  the  nautical  expeditions  of  Dab  and  his  friends, 
and  the  triumphs  and  achievements  as  well  as  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  boy-life 
furnish  ample  diversity  of  plot  and  incident. 


CRITICAL,  NOTICES. 

“  A  really  good  story  for  boys  is  a  good  story  for  anybody  and  everybody.  Just  such  is  furnished 
in  the  volume  before  us.” — Davenport  Gazette. 

“  It  fairly  brims  over  with  humor,  and  it  is  as  breezy  all  through  as  the  Long  Island  shore  whereon 
Dab  Kinzer  lived.’1 — American  Rural  Home. 

“  The  book  is  enlivened  with  a  racy  and  genuine  humor.  It  is,  moreover,  notably  healthy  in  its 
tone,  and  in  every  way  is  just  the  thing  for  boys.” — Philadelphia  North  American. 

“  It  is  full  of  fun,  liveliness,  and  entertainment.  Dab  Kinzer  will  be  voted  a  good  fellow,  wheth¬ 
er  at  home,  at  school,  or  out  fishing.” — Portland  Press. 

11  It  is  written  in  that  peculiarly  happy  vein  which  enchants  while  it  instructs,  and  is  one  of  those 
thoroughly  excellent  bits  of  juvenile  literature  which  now  and  then  crop  out  from  the  surface  of  a  mass 
of  common-place.” — Philadelphia  Press. 

“  In  a  literary  point  of  view,  we  are  inclined  to  rank  this  book  among  the  first  of  its  kind  *  *  __  * 

A  father  who  wants  his  boy  to  grow  up  in  a  manly  way,  may  find  in  such  books  something  to  help  him. 
amazingly,” — Christian  Intelligencer. 


Uniform  with  “  Dab  Kinzer J9 


THE  QUARTET. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  DAB  KINZER. 

By  WILLIAM  O.  STODDARD. 

One  Vol.,  12 mo,  330  pages,  -  $ 1.00 


Mr.  Stoddard’s  Dab  Kinzer  proved  so  popular,  both  as  a  serial  and  in  book  form, 
that  he  has  published  a  sequel  to  that  story  which  gives  Dab  a  good  education  and  a 
wife.  Nothing  in  juvenile  literature  can  excel  the  healthful  manly  quality  of  these 
stories.  _ _ _ 

***For  sale  by  all  booksellers ,  or  will  be  sent ,  prepaid ,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


STANDARD  BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 


TRAVEL,  HISTORY,  SCIENCE  AND  ART. 

A  New  Edition  at  Reduced  Price . 

BAYARD  TAYLOR’S  LIBRARY  OF  TRAVEL. 

fi  VoU.,  square  f.’mo,  with  many  , illustration,.  Bandtomr'y  bound. 


JAPAN  IN  OUR  DAY. 
TRAVELS  IN  ARABIA. 
TRAVELS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 
CENTRAL  ASIA. 


THE  LAKE  REGIONS  OF  CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 

SIAM,  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE 
ELEPHANT. 


Price  per  set ,  in  a  box, 

or  sold  separately  at  $1.25  per  volume. 


$6.00 


EPOCHS  OF  HISTORY. 

These  volumes  contain  the  ripe  results  of  the  studies  of  men  ivho  are  authorities  in  their  re¬ 
spective  fields.  — The  Nation. 


EPOCHS  OF  MODERN  HISTORY. 

THE  ERA  OF  PROTESTANT  REVOLU¬ 
TION. 

THE  CRUSADES. 

THE  THIRTY  YEARS’  WAR,  1618-1648. 
THE  HOUSES  OF  LANCASTER  &  YORK. 
"HE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION  AND 
FIRST  EMPIRE. 

THE  AGE  OF  ELIZABETH. 

THE  FALL  OF  THE  STUARTS. 

THE  PURITAN  REVOLUTION. 

THE  EARLY  PLANTAGENETS. 

AGE  OF  ANNE. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  MIDDLE 
AGES. 

THE  NORMANS  IN  EUROPE. 
FREDERICK  THE  GREAT  AND  THE 
SEVEN  YEARS’  WAR. 


EPOCHS  OF  ANCIENT  HISTORY. 
THE  GREEKS  AND  THE  PERSIANS. 
THE  ATHENIAN  EMPIRE. 

THE  MACEDONIAN  EMPIRE. 

EARLY  ROME. 

THE  GRACCHI  MARIUS  AND  SULLA. 
THE  ROMAN  TRIUMVIRATES. 

THE  EARLY  EMPIRE. 

THE  AGE  OF  THE  ANTONINES. 
TROY. 

ROME  AND  CARTHAGE. 


***  Each  one  vol.,  16mo,  with  Maps. 
Each  volume  complete  in  itself,  and 
sold  separately . 

Price  per  vol.,  in  cloth,  -  $1.00 


The  same  in  sets  Roxburgh  binding,  gilt  top,  at  the  rate  of  $1.00  per  vol. 


ILLUSTRATED  LIBRARY  OF  WONDERS. 


The  First  Series  Comprises: 


Illus 

WONDERFUL  ESCAPES .  26 

BODILY  STRENGTH  AND  SKILL.  70 

BALLOON  ASCENTS ....  o0 

GREAT  HUNTS .  22 

EGYPT  3,300  YEARS  AGO . 40 

THE  SUN.  By  Guillemin  .  «;8 

THE  HUMAN  BODY 

THE  SUBLIME  IN  NATURE  44 

INTELLIGENCE  OF  ANIMALS  Z 

THUNDER  AND  LIGHTNING  20 

BOTTOM  OF  THE  SEA 

ITALIAN  ART  .  „a 

WONDERS  OF  HEAT  .  ..  qo 

OPTICAL  WONDERS .  rr 

EUROPEAN  ART .  . 

ARCHITECTURE  ....  In 

WONDERS  OF  ACOUSTICS  .  no 

THE  HEAVENS .  ' 

GLASS-MAKING.  . 

WONDERS  OF  POMP!?!!  . 

Price  per  single  vol.,  cloth,  -  -  -  _  _  _  _  $1  a  ~ 

The  same,  in  sets  of  20  vols.,  cloth,  with  a  rack,  -  _  25MO 

*  **  For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  will  be  sent  prepaid ,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

743  and  745  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


JULES  VERNE’S  GREATEST  WORK. 


THE  EXPLORATION  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Three  Volumes  Sro  Extra  Cloth,  with  100  Full-page  Engravings  in  each. 

Price,  $3.50  per  Volume. 


In  this  chief  of  his  works,  M.  Jules  Verne  has  set  himself  to  tell  the  story  of  all  the 
most  stirring  adventures  of  which  we  have  any  written  record,  —  to  give  the  history, 
“  irom  the  time  of  Hanno  and  Herodotus  down  to  that  of  Livingstone  and  Stanley,”  of 
those  voyages  of  exploration  and  discovery  which  are  among  the  most  thrilling  episodes 
in  the  history  of  human  enterprise.  In  short,  M.  Verne  has  chosen  for  his  most  important 
book  the  only  subject  which  he  could  make  surpass  his  own  vivid  and  realistic  stories  in 
absorbing  interest  :  to  the  treatment  of  such  material  he  brings  all  the  dash  and  vivid 
picturesqueness  of  his  own  creations,  and  it  may  be  imagined  that  he  makes  a  book 
worth  reading. 

The  plan  of  the  work  is  se  valuable  that  it  is  a  matter  for  surprise  that  such  a  histo¬ 
ry  has  never  been  undertaken  before.  To  trace  connectedly  the  progress  of  discovery,  as 
M.  Verne  does,  from  the  time  when  the  world  was  a  very  small  circle  indeed,  surrounded 
by  the  densest  of  outer  darkness,  and  when  the  Carthagenian  navigators  ventured  timidiy 
out  of  the  Mediterranean,  is  to  gain  an  altogether  new  idea  of  the  daring  and  skill  that 
has  been  expended  in  this  one  direction.  It  is  a  worthy  subject  for  the  most  ambitious 
work  of  such  a  writer. 

The  work  includes  three  divisions,  each  in  one  volume  complete  in  itself, — 

I.  FAMOUS  TRAVELS  AND  TRAVELLERS. 

II.  THE  GREAT  NAVIGATORS. 

III.  THE  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY. 

Each  volume  in  the  series  is  very  fully  illustrated  with  full-page  engravings  by  French 
artists  of  note;  and  the  volume  of  “FAMOUS  TRAVELS”  is  made  still  more  interest¬ 
ing  by  many  fac-similes  from  the  original  prints  in  old  voyages,  atlases,  etc. 


“  The  Prince  of  Story-tellers."  —  London  Times. 


THE  WORKS  OF  JULES  VERNE. 

PUBLISHED  BY  CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS. 

THE  COMPLETE  AND  AUTHORIZED  EDITIONS. 

The  following  works  of  M.  Jules  Verne  are  published  by  Messrs.  Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  by  ar¬ 
rangement  with  Messrs.  Sampson  Low  &  Co.  of  London,  in  accordance  with  the  right  ceded  to  them  by 
MM.  Hetzel  &  C!o.,  the  publishers  of  M.  Verne’s  works  in  the  original  French  edition.  These  volumes 
contain  all  the  illustrations  of  the  French  edition,  and  are  the  only  complete  and  authorized  books  of  M. 
Jules  Verne  published  in  this  country. 

MICHAEL  STROGOFF ;  or,  The  Courier  of  the  Czar.  One  vol.  8vo  .  .  .  .  $3  00 

A  FLOATING  CITY  AND  THE  BLOCKADE  RUNNERS.  One  vol.  8vo  .  300 

DICK  SANDS.  One  vol.  8vo  . . 3  00 

A  JOURNEY  TO  THE  CENTRE  OF  THE  EARTH.  One  vol.  i2mo  .  .  .  3  00 

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